Old Habits
by BrowncoatGrl
Summary: With a half-insane god, Angel's team has their hands full. But now, Pogroms, demons from before man, have come to reclaim their thrones. With friends new and old, AI is ready to defend the world from bloodthirsty monsters. But how much more can they lose
1. Prologue

**Prologue - June 24th, 2003**

It would be a long, long night. There was nothing happening in the town despite it was a Friday. No great parties or wild get-togethers. But, then again, she liked the solitude her town brought her. Things here were quiet and peaceful. As much as she had been used to the wild and fast life in Los Angeles, she found she preferred this life she was living. She was an officer, a unique one at that, and she knew the lay of her town.

Yeah. It was her town.

Everyone here knew about her; where she came from, what she used to do, her skills and weaknesses (not that she had very many of the latter).

She walked down the long road to her house on the hill…not that it was really a hill…more of a mountain. A mountainside house with a great view of the Rockies. Her back porch was set flush against the mountain at the very back, the rest of the house elevated on stilts to level it. She sighed every time she saw it during the sunset. The sun was just falling over the mountain range, the colors amazingly beautiful and tranquil.

Her cell phone rang.

She picked it up, flipped it open, "Lockley."

The man on the other end of the line told her the reason for intruding on her long-expected weekend.

She sighed heavily.

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Picking up the pace and running towards her garage, she got into her car and headed for Denver.

* * *

Kate Lockley eyed the body. Her first instinct was to call for the crime lab, but she knew better. She knew some crazed person out for a mid-evening kill didn't cause the death. The bite marks on the neck told her all she needed to know. She sighed heavily, knowing the toll was going up and she was no closer to figure out why.

"What you think?" her assistant asked.

"Looks like another vampire."

The assistant shook his head, "This is the eighteenth one this week, Kate. We keep nailing 'em but it doesn't seem to help."

"There has to be one we're missing. And for every body we find…"

"It could be turning who-knows-how-many others," her chief walked up to her, his hands on his hips and his stuffed belly hanging over his belt.

Kate nodded, turning to see the elder man, "We have to get someone in here, Chief. Whoever this vamp-master is, we need to nail 'em. And we don't have the men or the strength to do it."

"Denver is a big city, Kate. There're a lotta cops that'll do what they're told."

"And die fighting something stronger, faster and deadlier than them. Aside from us, how many do you think _really_ know what's causing the death toll?"

The chief nodded, "Yeah, I know."

"A dozen men can't take out a nest," the assistant said.

"Do you know anyone we can bring in?"

Lockley licked her lips, "I'd have to make a trip."

* * *

**2015, New York City, New York**

Karina ran the plywood shaft into the heart of the vampire as it ran towards her. The demon gaped and was blown away on the wind. His last facial expression of shock was gone as quickly as it had appeared. She looked at her wounded shoulder and ran her hand over it, letting her new powers heal it.

There was clapping. Karina readied her makeshift stake as she saw a man approach. His hair was neatly parted and slicked back. He had big colorful puppy dog eyes and a chiseled face. He was only a few inches taller than her. She assumed he would be easy to stake.

"I'm no vampire," he said simply.

She cocked an eyebrow, "Really? You look like one."

He smiled, "How so?"

"Outdated clothes, for one."

"Ouch. But, as an explanation, I just so happen to be much, much older than you."

"Oh, really? You can't be more than twenty."

"Around fifty, actually."

"You're not human."

"I am."

"Then how?"

"I'm your predecessor. One of them, actually."

"You're a god?"

"Demigod. Not as powerful."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I'm here to train you," he walked closer.

"I don't need training."

He held his hand up and Hope watched as the stars rotated quickly, the darkness faded, and the sun came out. She stared at him.

"How?"

"You've had your powers for almost a year now. All you can do is heal yourself and telekinetically move things. Quite lame, I'd say."

"I'm strong."

"Not strong enough. Things are starting to happen, Young One. Things that you need to be prepared for."

She lowered her defenses and eyed him, "Who are you?"

"My name is Michael. I'm here to help."

Karina walked from the alley with him into the rising sunlight, "How did you make the sun rise so quick?"

"Brought us forward in time."

"You can teach me how to do that?"

"In time. But first, let me tell you what you _are not_," he paused, stopping and looking directly at her, "You _are not_ a Slayer. You shouldn't be wasting your time with hand-to-hand combat. And you _are not_ God. You do not choose who lives and who dies. Without His express permission, you don't even try to fold the fabric of time or disrupt the human cycle. Understand?" he asked.

She nodded.

They looked around at the humans walking from their penthouses in business suites, going about their lives, "These humans, all humans, are your first priority. Any of the benevolent demons—they aren't. What happens to them is little concern to us. You _are not_ an executioner for the human race. You _are_ the judge. You fight to make the world a better place."

"How can I judge humans? I am one."

He started walking again with a slight smile, "You underestimate yourself. You are not wholly human. A part of you carries demon blood. You are above humans. Now, let's get home to see your mother. You need to get to school, if I recall," he said simply.

Karina smiled at his candid nature and walked off with him towards the apartment buildings that she and her mother now resided in. As she walked, she could feel the power coming from the being known as Michael. She wanted to know. She wanted to have the power he displayed.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Angel fell to the ground, pinned by his attacker. The vampire tried to dig the stake into his chest, not caring that Angel was wearing the same face. With a burst of strength, Angel threw the vampire off, standing quickly and changing his grip on the stake. The vampire growled, his buddies trying to maneuver the others into vulnerable positions. He ran at Angel, ready to land a fatal blow. Angel reacted quickly, jutting his forearm forward just enough for the stake to penetrate the vampire's chest.

He looked over to see Wesley and Gunn fighting off vampires from a corner, Fred behind them ready with a crossbow. Gunn was knocked off his feet and landed hard on his back; he lost his axe in the fall. Angel ran over.

He wasn't the first to reach Gunn's side.

Hope grabbed at the vampire's back, bringing him closer to her. From there, she sank her own fangs into the demon's neck, piercing the jugular. The vampire struggled; the idea of becoming preyed upon by another bloodsucker wasn't a generally accepted one.

Angel stopped, almost disgusted, as he watched Hope drain the vampire. As she drank, her back to him, Wesley managed to dust the last two vampires that came with the group. The vampire Hope held in her clutches slowed, then stopped squirming all together. Lifting her mouth from his neck, she ran a stake through his back, piercing the heart. The vampire exploded in a whirlwind of dust.

Hope, her demonic countenance still on, stood there. He felt his heart drop deeper into his chest. Blood drained down her neck and her lips were covered in it. Her blue tank top was black from the drippings of the last few vampires she'd eaten from. Her face was blank; she helped Gunn up and stood stock still.

He allowed himself to walk to her, trying to ignore what she'd done. As he came up next to her, her yellow eyes pierced his soul, spoke to him, made him hunger for the passion she had inside her. He finally stepped back, moving over towards the brick wall. He dislodged his sword from the mortar and tried to forget what he'd seen her do.

"I'm ready to call it a night," Fred said tiredly, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I second that," Wesley sighed.

"That makes fifteen, right?" Gunn asked.

"In the last few days."

"There's probably a nest we're not getting at," Angel said.

"A big one. I don't remember there ever being this many vamps out in a night," Gunn thought aloud.

Angel looked at the graying sky; "We'll track it down tomorrow night. For now, we should just head home," he slung his sword over his shoulder.

"I'm good with that," Fred said, handing the crossbow back to Wesley.

The five of them left the dismal alley, Angel and Hope moving towards his convertible. Gunn climbed into his truck, waiting to see if Fred wanted a lift. Wesley pulled on his full-face helmet and straddled his motorcycle, revving up the engine.

"We meet back at the Hyperion at dusk," Angel called out, wanting to nail the nest.

"You got it, boss," Fred smiled, climbing into the passenger seat of Gunn's truck.

As Angel let the top of his convertible come back up, he cast a stray glance at Hope. Only now did she decide to resume her angelic face. He watched from the corner of his eye as she remained stoically detached and bloody.

"Are you staying at the Hyperion again?"

Her brow furrowed. She looked down at her hands and away from his eyes, "Yeah. I don't think I'm ready to go back to my apartment just yet."

Angel left it at that and turned the key, the engine starting without trouble.

* * *

They slept in the same bed. But they didn't sleep with one another. Angel, tired and mildly disgusted at Hope's display of hunger during the fight, declined to touch her, hold her…do anything that might bring back more memories.

He yelled at himself as he heard Hope breath rhythmically; things had been too good after she came out of the catatonia. She had been too…fine. Untroubled by her lust for blood, ready to put it all behind her. But, after the others had left, she changed. She became a vampire. A near-catatonic vampire wrapped in denial about her bloodlust. A vampire with the power of a god. He should have known she would try harder when the others were around. But, now that it was just them, she didn't care if they saw her true, somewhat new, nature.

He rolled silently to face her sleeping silhouette. She looked so innocent. She looked like the Hope he longed for. The one that had the ideals of a god. The one that would never, ever, drink blood.

* * *

_"I'll take it," Angelus laughed as he walked joyfully up to Hope's limp and bruised figure. _

_Hope stood shakily and landed one solid punch at Angelus before he grabbed her and lifted her from the dry riverbed. She gagged, trying to gain some leverage and keep her airway open but with little success._

_Angelus placed his palm over Hope's heart, the bloodied sports bra offering no protection. Hope yelped as a blinding light tore at her from the First's palm, digging into her chest and infecting her heart. _

_ Fred tugged at Hope, trying to do what she could. _

_ The combined strength of the two of them pulled Hope away from the faux Angelus' grip, landing her hard on a stalagmite. It scraped her, drawing more blood. _

_ Hope felt her powers, what little there were left, drained. Her last breath of godliness was pulled from her rudely, offering her no compensation. She lashed out at the First, nailing Angelus in the groin and smiling inwardly as he doubled over in pain momentarily. _

_ Then It assumed Fred's shape and was no longer burdened by the pain. Fred helped Hope up and tried to get her to move. Hope's body didn't want to cooperate. _

_ The fake Fred hit Hope from behind and Hope was forced face-first into the pebbled floor, wincing as she tried to understand what had been done to her. She rolled over on her back and watched as the First tried to nail her in her gut. She rolled to one side, the First's fist landing in the pebbles. _

_ "Come on, Hope," Fred tried to help her up. _

_ The other Fred smiled and kicked Hope clear across the cavern, her body hitting a stalactite as she started to descend. It crumbled under the impact and Hope was lost to vertigo for a moment._

_Hope managed to get herself up on all fours as the First assumed Wesley's figure and advanced on her. He paused slightly when Hope snarled at him, her vampire face threatening and her eyes bloodshot red. With demonic and renewed strength, Hope lunged at the First and nailed him, forcing him down onto the cavern floor and landing punch after punch to his face, new blood getting on her bruised knuckles. _

_ He grabbed her fists and kicked her head over heels to land on her back, her burst of strength gone and taking with it all traces of what she really was. _

_ Her vampiric face stayed in place as the demonic Wesley advanced on her again, ready with a smile and a punch to cripple her. Fred screamed as the visage of her trusted friend broke Hope's leg with that punch and the crack and snap afterwards was deafening. _

_ Hope grabbed instinctually at her wounded leg, tears falling from her red eyes. _

_ The First picked her up and threw her across the cavern again, smiling as she hit another stalagmite on her way down. Fragments of limestone embedded themselves in her purple and blue abdomen, one of her ribs poking through the skin and sticking out like a scar on her blue and purple skin. _

_ "You really thought you were a match for me, Hope?" Wesley asked haughtily._Hope bolted upright and screamed.

* * *

Sweat rolled down her forehead and her fists were balled up tight. Blood drained from her palms as her fingernails dug into them from fear.

Angel sat up with her, knowing from her frenzied look that she had had a nightmare, "Hope!" he said strongly, trying to keep her mind where it belonged.

She looked at him, her face calming and her fists loosening. With a sudden burst, she grabbed at him, embracing him.

He forgot about what he'd seen earlier. He forgot about any grudge he might have had. All that mattered was the fact that she was hurting…that she was crying and needed his help.

"Shh. It's okay," he cooed.

"I saw It. In the caves," she whispered hoarsely.

He kissed her exposed shoulder, "It was just a nightmare. You're safe. I'm right here," he assured her.

She slowly released him, her bloodied palms causing her pain. Angel, unaware that she'd wounded herself, eyed them and sighed, "I'll get some bandages," he said.

She stopped him, grabbing at his arm, "No. It's okay. I'll go get them," she said, trying to muster some sense of security.

"Are you sure?"

She nodded, sniffling, "Yeah. I'll be back."

He watched her clamber out of bed, her hands close to her chest and still bleeding. He could feel her terror, her anxiety. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, wishing there was more he could do to help her overcome everything she'd been through. But, like she had once said, champions were meant to face danger alone.

Luckily for her, he didn't believe that had to be the case.

* * *

Hope looked at herself in the mirror. Although Angel's bathroom was closer, she didn't want him staring at her back while she dressed the wounds. She couldn't bear his scrutinizing gaze. She knew he didn't mean it. None of them did. But the feelings were still there: the fear and mistrust. She could feel it and it only made her dig deeper into the pain, trying to block out everything around her.

Her hands were tightly dressed, the blood stopped for the time being. She inhaled deeply, not ready to close her eyes again for some time. The nightmares haunted her. They made her feel so helpless, so alone. And she didn't want that.

More than anything, she wanted to go back up to Angel's room and have him hold her. But his embrace wasn't what it used to be. She knew it wasn't his fault. But a small part of him recoiled when they hugged…when they touched. His heart wanted her. But that minuscule speck of his mind that didn't trust her hurt more than his passion could mend. She smiled to herself. She couldn't blame him. He'd been hurt so terribly by the First…by her. She knew he had nightmares, too. He would never say anything to her, but she knew.

Hands held her shoulders.

She spun around, unprepared for the contact.

"Angel," she rasped, her breath caught in shock.

"I wanted to check on you."

Her brow furrowed, "Why?"

"You've been down here for almost forty minutes."

She sighed heavily, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize how long it had been. I didn't mean to worry you."

"It's okay. Why don't you come back to bed," he tried to seem oblivious to her actions earlier in the evening.

His hands rubbed her upper arms and she closed her eyes, grateful for the contact. One of his hands cupped her cheek, the thumb stroking it. She placed her own wounded hand over his, the coolness of his skin almost reassuring. She opened her eyes to see his, staring at her lovingly. And, for a moment, she couldn't feel his fear.

And she sobbed, grateful for the reprieve. Tears welled up in her eyes and she moved her face to kiss his palm, knowing it was okay.

"Hope…"

They kissed, their arms wrapped around one another tightly. Angel lifted her up, her legs wrapped securely around his waist. He ran his hands through her hair, the silken strands feeling so soothing after the harshness of the fight.

They maneuvered themselves out of the bathroom and onto her old bed. With the sun rising off into the east, Angel closed the blinds absentmindedly and let Hope down on the bed.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Angel opened his eyes to see filtered light intruding on peaceful darkness. Next to him was Hope. She was sitting up, on the corner of the bed, just staring. He almost sighed. She was already gone for the day. He sat up and she turned her head a bit to see him. Her eyes were somber. He could feel her want the day to be over. And in that dead-cold persona of hers, was the demon. He could feel that, too. That little bit of demon fighting for the body that imprisoned it. It wanted out and all Hope was, was fighting those urges.

"Hey."

"Hey."

He looked around for a clock and then at her, "What time is it?"

"Almost three."

He sat up, rubbed his eyes free from sleep, and slid out of bed, pulling on his lounge pants. Hope stayed where she was, still staring blankly.

"I'm hungry."

He stared at her for a moment, unable to find a response for that.

She ignored his unsteady stare. She kept her face still as she tried to explain herself, "I meant for lunch…real food…that sort of hungry."

"I could get you something if you wanted," he offered, turning to face her and sitting on the bed.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Anything," he said, secretly hoping she wanted something he was willing to give her.

"Eggs would be nice…maybe some toast."

He nodded, smiled warmly, and stood, "Coming right up."

She stood and pulled on his shirt, buttoning the front. It covered all of her that was absolutely necessary. He eyed her, tempted to forget about a meal and hold her again. But, restraining himself, he smiled at her, "Why don't you go take a shower. I'll have breakfast ready for you when you come back down."

She nodded, "Sure."

* * *

Hope walked back down from her room smelling the breakfast he'd cooked up for her. She smiled slightly, ready to eat a real meal. And, she sighed, she knew Angel was still uneasy. In some way, she cursed the connection they had. He had tasted from her and thus cured her; at the same time, their minds were completely and totally linked. She, being the more powerful of the two, could at least keep out his every thought and also keep her mind from being an open book. But his feelings were more than enough. To feel that he was uneasy and worried was more than she could bear. Her smile gone, she walked over to the counter and sat there, looking at the plate of eggs and toast he had cooked up.

"Thank you."

"Hope it tastes good."

She took a bite, savoring the taste. The blood from the night before was still fresh in her mind but this was better. This was something she wanted to eat…didn't feel a need to eat.

"I was thinking that we should go by the apartment today," Angel said quietly.

Hope swallowed the bite she had, "I don't think I'm ready."

"Facing it will help you deal. That's the best thing for you right now," he poured himself a glass of blood.

She poked around at the eggs, "Do you not want me here?"

Angel put down his glass quickly and moved closer to her. He took her chin in his fingers and made her look at him, "I always want you here. I'm just trying to think of what's best for you."

"If we did go, could you stay with me? I don't want to be there alone."

He nodded, "Of course."

"Are we still on to spar?" she asked.

Angel sat on the other side of the counter, "You think you can take me?" he asked teasingly.

"I'll try."

"Then so will I."

* * *

2015, New York City, New York, USA

Karina landed hard on her rear and looked angrily at her attacker. She sighed heavily and stood dramatically. Michael only smiled at her, waiting for some quip. As much as she'd been taught to respect her elders, she couldn't deny him his expectation.

"You bastard."

He shrugged, "Fights aren't fair."

She rubbed her bruised elbow and felt her knee audibly snap as she put more weight on it, "They're not usually one sided, either."

"That's because you've only picked fights you know you can win."

"Keeps my batting average high," she walked over to the bench.

"Try it again."

She sighed heavily, stopping herself from sitting on the inviting bench. She moved towards him again, standing across the circle in a defensive stance. She waited, knowing he wouldn't pull any punches with her. She ran the buffet of punches through her mind, seeing them landing with perfect accuracy. She ran them over and over, waiting for her mind to stop and her instincts to kick in. The moment she thought it was tight enough, strong enough, she lunged.

Michael was ready. The first punch she threw, he dodged. She moved forward with each fist she threw. One barely glanced his cheek. Surprised as he was that one had actually hit him, he threw his elbow up and it landed hard under her chin. She stumbled back and tried to regain her balance. As she continued to reel backwards, he threw one hard punch to her gut. She fell to her rear again. She landed at her mother's feet. The drinks on the tray fell as she jumped from her daughter's abrupt arrival. Karina remained angrily straight-faced as the liquid showered her. Her mother sighed heavily.

"I brought lemonade."

Karina stood, stormed out and threw the beaded curtain aside. Jo looked at Michael and sighed, waiting until her daughter was out of sight.

"You're pushing her too hard."

"She needs it. She's too cocky. Things are coming."

"I'm assured!" Karina yelled, out of sight but not earshot.

Jo smiled at that, looking back to Michael, "She's still so young."

"She has the rest of her life to live it. But she won't get there if Angelus kills her."

"Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing…waiting till last year for her to know. Maybe if she'd been preparing all along, working on her skills, maybe she wouldn't have it so hard right now."

"She knows how to fight, Jo. She's just so damn arrogant."

Jo smiled and put the tray aside, "Well, she was chosen to save the world. That's a huge chip to put on a child's shoulders. She knows she's the only one. Tell me that wouldn't make you a little cocky," she said simply.

Michael put his hands on his hips, "She needs to get back on ground level."

"You kicking her butt day in and day out? That doesn't help much."

"You're her mother; how do I get her to cooperate?"

Jo smiled and took the tray back up in her hands, "Ask nicely."

* * *

The two vampires eyed one another, knowingly perfectly well the other's strengths and weaknesses. Hope was alertly relaxed, her hands loose and open, ready to block anything. Angel was standing there, his fists in front of him, and his eyes were focused solely on Hope's.

She lunged at him.

Her foot swiped across his face, sending him backwards. He regained his balance and blocked the next kick, grabbing her ankle and pulling hard, taking her off her feet. She kicked hard, her boot nailing his jaw. He let go, setting himself back up to block her next attack. She rolled over her shoulder and stood, her face no longer human. Angel shook his head.

"You shouldn't be giving in that easily."

She shrugged.

With that, she ducked and dodged his jab, spinning once and nailing his back with her fist; he was forced forward and landed on his stomach. He turned in time to see Hope close in on him. He prepared himself to launch her off his chest; he knew she would use the move. With his legs coiled, he watched her get closer, ready to pin him.

She doubled over and froze.

A gunshot reverberated through the atrium.

Angel got to his feet quickly and looked at the source.

Wesley, realizing that Angel wasn't in real danger, lost his defensive face and seemed appalled at what he had done. Angel rushed over to Hope's side, trying to find where the bullet had gone in. He laid her on the tiled floor, knowing she was in no mental condition to heal herself. Her vampiric face was terrified, pained. One of her hands was at her throat, blood seeping through her fingers.

Angel pulled her hand away from the wound and saw the entry hole at her clavicle. Wesley skidded down next to them, his gun away and a handkerchief out to staunch the bleeding.

"I thought that—"

"Get me pliers," Angel said harshly, cutting him off.

As Wesley ran off to do the chore, Hope's bloodied hand reached up for Angel's face. He took it, smelling her blood—so intoxicating and tempting. He watched as her features changed and she again wore a human face. Blood gurgled out of her mouth and drained down to her ears. Angel pressed the handkerchief steadily against the wound, hoping she could hold out just enough for the shock to wear off.

Wesley came back and handed Angel the pliers.

Angel removed the cloth and pried at the wound, digging to get the bullet out. He did and tossed it aside, pressing the cloth back in. He took Hope's pale face in his hands and shook gently, trying to keep her conscious.

"You have to start healing, Hope!" he said loudly, feeling her mind in a haze.

She just looked at him with glazed eyes. More blood streamed from her mouth and onto the floor, swamping around her head.

"Stay awake! You have to start healing," he demanded again, not willing to let her go.

She seemed to register that and spit out blood, her eyes wide with fear and power. Angel felt her skin start to warm and his hands tingled with the power. Her skin shone slightly silver, the frayed muscles fixing themselves. Angel watched gratefully as the wound sealed up slowly and the blood ceased to gush from it.

Hope coughed, her windpipe restored. She spat out the remaining blood in her mouth and sat up, still coughing. Angel gently wiped the blood away from her lips and face.

"I didn't know it was you," Wesley started, his voice quavering.

Hope looked at him and saw that his eyes were glassy. She just nodded, not up for talking. She placed her clean hand on his shoulder. His clenched jaw clenched tighter as he tried to hold back tears.

"I'm so sorry," he said, his voice barely controlled.

Putting her other hand on Angel's shoulder, she tried to stand.

Angel braced her. He shot Wesley one poisonous look and then guided Hope to a seat. She sat heavily, her still weak body worn from healing itself.

"Can you talk?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she rasped.

He kneeled on his haunches in front of her, looking up and pulling hair out of her face, "I'm sorry for shaking you like that."

She shook her head, "You did the right thing," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I thought it was the First. I didn't know…"

"You were just trying to protect him," her voice cracked and subsided as she spoke.

"Why don't I take you upstairs? You can shower and rest. You need that."

She nodded and tried to stand out of the chair. Angel wrapped his arms around her; one was around her upper back and the other at the back of her kneecaps. He lifted her up and walked past Wesley, then up the stairs to his room.

When he came back down the stairs a while later, Wesley stood from the chair.

"How is she?" he asked sincerely.

Angel couldn't bring himself to look at his friend, "She started crying as soon as I closed the door. How do you think she is?"

"I thought you were in trouble."

With a tightly clenched jaw, Angel turned lividly, his face in Wesley's, "You shot her."

Wesley backed away from Angel, "I thought she was the First."

With a venomous look, Angel reached across the space between them and pulled out Wesley's gun, "You. Shot. Her."

With a burst of fury, he threw the gun and watched it break apart as it hit a marble column. Wesley flinched, looking between the broken gun and his friend.

"I am sorry. I didn't think."

Angel, his eyes closed and trying to calm himself, exhaled deeply. He then looked at Wesley, "I think it would be best if you found something to do until we go back out tonight. Preferably something away from here."

Wesley nodded, "I'll be back at sunset."

Without another word, Angel walked into his office and slammed the door, leaving Wesley alone in the atrium.

* * *

Hope eyed herself in the mirror, her mascara running from the tears she'd shed. Waterproof. Yeah right. It would come off with anything except soap and water. She quickly doused her face with cold water, trying to freshen up a little before she went back downstairs. She'd tried to sleep but it wasn't working. Her body might've been run down, but her mind was on full alert.

Sighing heavily, she started back down towards the atrium. She saw Angel brooding in his office. There wasn't any Wesley. She assumed Angel had told him to leave for the day. She knew he was livid. But, she knew Wesley was not completely in the wrong. She accepted that. Angel couldn't.

She rapped her knuckles on his door and opened it before he could articulate anything. She caught his pained gaze.

"Hey."

"You should be resting."

She shrugged, taking the seat across from him, "I'll be okay."

"Your voice sounds better."

"It is."

There was a long pause. Neither of them wanted to delve deeply into the topic of why she'd been shot. But Hope knew they had to cover it.

"Wesley was just trying to protect you."

He exhaled sharply, "Hope…not now."

"Yes, now. From his point of view, you were in danger. On your back, on the floor…I was lunging…he did the right thing."

"He shot you."

"After everything he went through, can you blame him?"

Angel didn't answer to that, only tightened his jaw.

"What I did to him—"

"It wasn't you."

Hope sighed, "What he went through was horrible. He was nearly killed. You can't blame him for jumping to conclusions. Yelling and blaming isn't going to make the whole thing any easier. On any of us."

"I just can't stand to see you hurt."

"I appreciate that. But when he comes back, promise me you'll apologize to him."

Angel opened his mouth to protest.

"Promise me!" she raised her voice.

He nodded and smiled wanly, walking over to her, "I promise."

Hope shifted, "I think I'll head out for a while."

"Where?"

"Maybe I'll find where this nest is."

"I don't think you should go alone."

"I'll be careful. I promise."

* * *

Hope hit hard. It felt like her fist had shattered under the impact. But, she smiled, seeing the snitch on his knees and holding onto his shattered eye socket.

"Now, I'm gonna ask you again. Where is it?" Hope towered over the snitch.

"I swear I don't know!" the human tried to stand.

Hope grabbed him by the collar on his shirt. She lifted him clear off the ground and smiled maliciously. Her face changed slowly, her fangs protruding out from the cover of her upper lip. She licked her lips slowly, letting the fear sink in.

"Now, in case you haven't heard: I'm somewhat psycho. That whole deal with the First left me a little off kilter. You see, I have a taste for blood. Not normal humans, of course. But bastard snitches like you, now they get me hungry."

"Please don't hurt me!" he begged.

"Tell me what I want to hear and I won't. Why are the vamps running wild?" she reiterated.

"I don't know!"

Hope growled, bringing her fangs closer to the man's neck.

He squirmed, trying to push her away, "Okay, okay! I heard something about a mass slaughter."

Hope brought her face back and eyed the man, "Go on."

"Some of the vamps that come in here said that a new power is in town…and it wasn't you. They talked it up like this new player could take you out."

Hope smiled, her face turning it into a demonic grin, "Can't tell you how many times I've heard that."

"But they were serious. The vamps are answering to something else. They're working as a team."

"Which explains the extreme undead population. They're making more under orders, aren't they?"

"I don't know. I didn't ask. All I know is that this big bad sounds mean…and powerful."

"What about this mass slaughter?"

"It isn't happening just here. Cities all over the world are in the mix. That's what one of the vamps said."

Hope nodded, "Any idea where they are?"

He shook his head, "They didn't say anything," at Hope's angry growl, he continued quickly, "But that doesn't mean I didn't hear anything. I heard about a junction under the subway tunnels off Jackson Ave. That may be a good place to start."

Hope released him and he slumped to the floor, his hand back at his eye socket. He stared up at her as she allowed her face to turn back. She eyed him for a moment, then reached for a bag of ice that had been handy for some time. She tossed it at him.

"Put it over your eye. It'll stop the swelling," she advised.

She walked out of the dingy bar while the non-human patrons watched her go; they stayed away, unwilling to suffer a worse fate. She stepped out into the dimming light. She knew Angel and the others would be getting ready for a raid. But, she also knew, they would wait for her. She started to walk down the streets, her hands in her pockets and waiting for anything to come up while she made her way back to the hotel.

She heard a shriek. She paused and looked down the dim alley on her right. She caught a glimpse of yellow eyes under the protection of shadow. She smiled, her own face turning over. She ran at the creature, grateful it was trying to eat a young woman. That gave her the right to attack…and kill…and have a cocktail.

* * *

Angel looked up. He thought the door opening would be Hope. But it was Wesley. He tried not to let disappointment cloud his face over as Wesley walked closer to his office. Angel put down the book he'd been reading, knowing the conversation that would come his way.

"Evening," Wesley said.

"Hey."

"Are you okay?"

"Just worried about Hope."

"If I thought apologizing would make it better—"

"You weren't wrong to do it."

Wesley stared at him.

"After what happened, it's understandable. I wanted to…apologize…for the way I acted earlier," Angel said slowly, unable to meet the solemn gaze of his friend.

"It's not necessary."

"It was uncalled for."

"Is she all right?" Wesley asked quietly.

"She's better. She should be back soon."

"I'm sorry."

Angel nodded, "I know. She's just so gone right now. She needs to know we trust her."

"Is she getting better? With the nightmares?"

"I don't know. Half the time, she's a walking wall. There's nothing there. But sometimes…she's not stable. It's like all the energy she's holding back gets out."

"Are we dealing with a dual-personality?"

"I don't think so."

"Could your connection with her be causing some problems?"

"I don't know."

"There seems to be a lot of that concerning her."

He looked up and caught sight of her walking in through the front doors. He watched her lick her red lips and felt his stomach drop. Wesley followed his gaze and the two of them walked out of his office to greet her.

Angel eyed her for a moment as she removed her black leather coat. Why she wore one, he had no idea. She just placed her coat on the counter and went about staring blankly, ignoring Fred and Gunn as they walked closer.

"How'd it go?" Angel asked.

Her gaze stayed ahead, "Have an idea of where to start looking."

"How'd you find out?" he asked.

"Beat it out of a snitch."

"And the uh—" he wiped his fingers past his lips.

She just stared at him for a moment and turned her eyes back to nothing, "A vampire. She was trying to take out a teenager. I stopped her."

"And you drank," Gunn stated the obvious.

She eyed them, "It was a vampire."

"You shouldn't be drinking. That's not what you need," Angel crossed his arms over his chest.

"I took out a bad guy. Last I checked, that wasn't a bad thing."

"Taking 'em out is one thing. Drinking 'em is another," Gunn said slowly.

Hope stayed fixated on nothing, her eyes misting up.

"You said you had an idea of where to look," Fred broke in, trying to sound cheery and helpful.

Hope nodded, the hand on her throat making it hard to speak, "Yeah. I don't think we should do any fighting. Strictly recon."

"Why?" Gunn asked.

"Something is organizing the vampires. Not just here but in major cities around the globe. It looks big," she said, starting to feel control back in her voice.

"Okay. If we're doing recon, some of us should stay here. No need to bring the big guns," Angel said, looking directly at Hope.

She caught his stare, "I'm not staying behind."

"I want you to. Gunn and I can take care of this. Just recon. Tell us where to go?" he asked.

She stepped closer to him, "I'm going with you."

"I need you to stay behind. You don't need to be tempted."

"You need me. I can knock out any security they have…demon or mystical. I'm also the strongest fighter in this group should things go wrong."

Angel sighed, "I know. But we can handle this. We'll scope it out. If we end up needing you, we'll go back tomorrow night."

"But—"

"We did this for years without you here. We can handle this."

Hope moved away from him. Her face turned ashen. Her bottom lip puckered out as she fought back tears. Her neck became thick and her eyes flooded over. Her jaw clenched tight as she tried to keep her emotions under control.

Angel took a step towards her, "I didn't mean it like that."

She backed away from him, her eyes full of anger and pain, hurt and betrayal.

She smacked him. Hard.

She swallowed, "Try the subway tunnels off Jackson Avenue," she said curtly, turning her back on them all and storming up the stairs to a random room and slamming the door.

Fred eyed Angel before she walked briskly after Hope, hoping to find out which room she gone into. Gunn eyed the way Fred had gone, then looked at Angel.

"Maybe Wes and I should go. You can stay here…try to patch things up," he said vaguely.

Angel shook his head, "No. She won't talk to me. We'll be back later," he said, casting one glance at the stairway, then turning and walking out the front door, Gunn not far behind.

Wesley watched them go and quickly cocked his head, "Should be a smashing night," he said sarcastically.

* * *

2015, New York City, New York

Karina sighed heavily, waiting for her blindfold to be removed. She could hear the chirping of birds and the familiar smell of the lake at Central Park. She knew where she was but she didn't know why. Still, she remained quiet, willing to be lead by Michael along the many paths the Park had to offer.

"Okay, take it off."

She untied the knot and pulled the handkerchief away from her eyes. She gasped. In front of her lay a bloody body. As accustomed as she was to seeing the corpses of demons and the like, the sight of a body made her want to heave. She backed away, repulsed.

"Why?"

"You need to see it for yourself," Michael answered solemnly.

Karina swallowed hard again, feeling the excess of saliva in her mouth, "I think I'm gonna be sick."

"That's good."

She looked away and tried to breath in the air to ground herself. She was left facing Michael, "What?"

"It means you're still human. It means you have a soul in there. And, despite what you and your mother may think, that's what this is all about. You're half vampire—a medical and mystical impossibility. And that's what's been eating at you, isn't it?"

Karina just kept her mouth shut, still feeling too queasy to talk.

Michael stepped up to her, "Does the blood make you hungry?"

Karina looked at him, appalled, "You sick bastard…how can you?—she's dead."

"But there's still a part of you that wants to taste that blood. I know it. I can feel it in you."

"You're wrong."

"I'm not. And that's what's really making you sick. Not the sight or the smell…but the desire. You're something besides _just_ human. And that means accepting that other part of you. Hide it all you want. But being half vampire is a great strength they make movies about. You have that. You have what I will _never_ have—you have power beyond being a god. You have a demon inside of you and it will scream for blood. Your human soul will despise that other half of you. Let it. Let it fuel you. Let it anger you. Then maybe you've got a shot at beating Angelus."

With a knowing tear in her eyes, Karina threw up, falling to her hands and knees. Michael stood next to her, holding her long black hair up and away from her face. She coughed several times afterwards. And all he could do was be there for her.

"Look at the body again."

She shook her head, her lips still parted with the acid in her mouth dripping from them.

"You have to."

She let her weight go back onto her rear and she sat down, her back still to the victim, "No."

"Please."

She eyed him and wiped the back of her hand across her lips and chin. Turning slightly, she eyed the body again, seeing the blood and the open eyes. For a moment, she did feel the repulsive desire that Michael spoke of. The desire to let out that side of her she now knew she had. She wanted to know what it was that she fought. Why did the vampires she killed need that crimson life so badly? It was beyond hunger or survival. It was lust.

And she felt that lust.

She threw up again.

* * *

Gunn eyed Angel as they walked along the sewers adjacent to the subway tunnels. He'd been understandably quiet the entire patrol. Even in his car, he was fuming. His cheek was slightly swollen from where Hope had hit him. He cleared his throat to gain Angel's diverted attention.

"So, wanna talk?" Gunn asked.

"Not really."

"Cause, you know, if you wanna vent—I understand," he continued.

"I don't need to vent, Gunn."

"Sure?"

"I'm sure."

"So, what? You'll blast out that pathetic music of yours but you won't talk to me?" Gunn asked with a sly smile.

"I was upset."

"Oh, so you're all better now?" he asked.

Angel faced Gunn quickly, his face demonic and his fangs bared. Gunn just smiled.

"See? Told you ya needed to vent," he said calmly, then took the lead, walking past Angel.

Angel changed back his features and shook his head in spite of himself.

"Don't worry, man. I'm sure Hope'll be all better by the time we get back," Gunn said assuredly, talking over his shoulder.

Angel paused, feeling something. Gunn looked at him and stopped walking, "What?"

"Something warm…different than the rest of the air," Angel described it.

Gunn eyed the sewer tunnel they were in, "This is near Jackson Ave."

Angel placed his hand on the tunnel wall, feeling warmth from behind it. He could smell a trace of aroma coming from the wall.

"Is it solid?" Gunn asked.

Angel nodded, "Yeah. Wall is, but there's something behind it. Look around for a switch or something," he instructed, feeling the concrete to see if anything gave way easily.

Gunn eyed the ceiling and the far wall, not seeing anything suspicious. There were some minor cracks that had been filled…nothing out of the ordinary.

"Angel, take a look," he said, finding one crack that seemed to have light coming from the other side.

The both kneeled down, Angel trying to see if he could decipher anything on the other side. He looked over his shoulder at Gunn.

"Stand back," he said, bringing his hand back and hitting the crack with an open palm, trying to see if he couldn't make it wider. Some cement fragments fell to the water below and Angel put his face to the wall, seeing movement on the other side.

"Anything?" Gunn asked.

"Vampires."

"Anything else?"

Angel looked at Gunn, "A big demon."

"Big?"

"Very big."

"How big?"

"Ten or fifteen feet tall. Huge arms. Bald head…moss-colored skin. Nasty looking teeth," Angel droned, trying to see how many vampires were within range.

"So it's a Lord of the Rings troll."

Angel eyed him.

Gunn shrugged, "Not my fault you didn't see the movie."

Angel stood and sighed, "Not good odds."

"How many vamps?" Gunn asked.

"I'd say at least a hundred. I couldn't see everything."

Gunn's jaw dropped, "A hundred?"

"Looks like it. Hope was right; we can't afford to go up against this thing until we know what it is and how to kill it. It doesn't look like they're going anywhere. We'll head back to the Hyperion and look this thing up. If we can hit it tomorrow, we will."

* * *

Angel stood in his office. Wesley was trying to find a description of the demon in question and Hope was still up in a room somewhere. He had reluctantly forced himself to stay away from her until she was steadier. Her attitude was troubling—no longer was she the resilient and calm woman she had once been. Now she was turbulent and temperamental. She needed support now more than ever, but none could be given.

Someone knocked on his door, bringing him back to reality.

"Come in."

Winifred walked in tentatively and smiled, "Am I disturbing you?" she asked.

Angel shook his head, "No."

"I'm guess you know why I'm here."

"Hope."

"I don't need to explain to you what she's going through. It's obvious enough."

Angel rubbed his still sore cheek remembering, "Quite."

"She did come back to her senses. She apologizes for slapping you. I don't think she realized what she was doing."

"Caught up in the moment."

"Yeah. Very caught up in the moment. Your cheek's still a little red," Fred observed.

"I'll be fine. I'm just worried about her. What she did...was selfless. She gave up everything to protect us...everything," Angel looked into nothingness.

"Because she loves you. And we all know that if the situation were reversed, you'd have done the same thing. She needs you, Angel. She needs you more than anyone else."

"Is she still in a room?" he asked.

Fred nodded, "Hers."

"I'll go see her. Maybe it'll help if she knows I'm not mad at her."

"That sounds like a good idea."

Angel nodded slowly, then moved from his desk and walked up the stairs towards Hope, only hoping that she wouldn't slap him again. He walked into her room cautiously.

"Hope?"

She didn't look to him. Just stayed standing where she was. Motionless. Like she'd been for the last week. Nothing. He walked closer and stood at her side, wanting to make sure she knew where he was.

"Hope? Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry I hit you."

He almost smiled, "Don't worry about it. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I don't know why it did. Upset me."

"You've had a rough few weeks."

"I used to not be that sensitive."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You're here. That's saying something."

She finally looked at him, "I never did thank you."

"For what?"

"For saving me."

"You mean pushing the reset button?"

"I mean that. Thank you."

"Are we okay? I mean, I drank from you. And now I can feel you. More than before. Does that bother you?"

"Does it you?"

He shifted, "I'm not sure. I feel you. When you're close. I get a sense, maybe, of what you're feeling. And I don't just know about it. I feel it, too."

"That's a slippery slope."

"So, does it bother you?"

"I've had people in my head for millennia. One more won't make a difference."

"Will you be okay?"

Her brow furrowed, "Okay? I don't know if I'll ever be okay. I'm feeling new cravings, new emotions. The First discovered powers I didn't know I could lay claim to. I don't know if I'll ever be the same. Or if I'll ever be okay."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

She sighed and closed her eyes, "Help."

"Yeah. Is there anything I can do to help?"

It looked like a bolt of lightening lit up the side of her neck. Where it came from, he couldn't tell. But it shot up her neck to her jaw line and stopped. Her closed eyes winced in pain. She faltered and he braced her. Her head jerked to the side. He steadied her as she lost her footing completely, her eyes still closed.

"Hope?"

She inhaled deep and steadied herself, standing on her own, "I'm okay."

"What was that?"

She shook her head, "I don't know. It felt like an overload."

"Your powers?"

"Maybe."

"They didn't shock me."

"Evidently."

"Here, sit down," he guided her to the edge of the bed.

She sat there, breathing deep and pushing away whatever had transpired. Only it happened again. She grabbed at the right side of her neck as another electrical-looking current bolted up it. This time, Angel felt his head throb. He yelped, pressing the heel of his palm to his forehead. Just as soon as it had come, it left.

They stared at each other.

"You felt it too?"

He nodded, "Why?"

"Maybe when you hit the reset button, something else happened."

"Like…"

"Like our connection. When you brushed my powers that first time, it wasn't much. But after drinking…Michael and I have the same problem when we're close. Only he didn't drink from me."

Angel cracked his neck and sighed, "Oh, okay."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

She paused, "I think I should get to bed."

He straightened, "Sure."

"Should I wait up for you?"

"I'll stay up. Research mode. Figure out what we saw at the nest."

"So it was there?"

"Yeah. Don't worry about it right now. Get some rest. And try not to do that electric thing."

"I'll try."

He wanted to lean in and kiss her. But she was still distant. No matter what had just happened, she was still monotonous, frozen. He smiled before walking out, "Goodnight."

He closed the door and leaned on it. His head was still throbbing. Whatever had happened to her transferred over to him. It was like no pain he'd ever felt before. It felt like the muscle in his neck tightened and caught on fire, making his head throb as a side effect.

He walked downstairs to see the guys. Gunn was talking with Fred and Wesley about what they'd seen. Angel didn't want to stay up all night researching, but he didn't want to wait, either. He wanted to finish this job so Hope could get some rest. The nagging part of his mind told him she would be needed to fight. That was something he didn't want to ask of her unless he had to.

"Hey, how is she?" Fred asked.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "Not upset, which is good."

"You tell her 'bout what we saw?"

"No. She doesn't need to know right now. I think she just needs some rest."

"So, research mode?"

Angel nodded, "Research mode."

* * *

2016, New York City, New York, USA

Leaving his morning cup of coffee at the dining room table, he handed the sports page over to Kamal. Jo was already off to work and Karina was sleeping upstairs. Since the night in Central Park, she'd been sleeping a lot. He could understand why. She'd lost so much sleep those first few nights afterwards. But, she would get up by ten or eleven and train for a few hours with Kamal after lunch. Now that summer was in full swing, she spent her free time on the roof of the apartment, building her tan and putting lemon juice in her hair to dissect the raven black tresses. As wonderful as the new touches looked, he preferred her natural hair color without the highlights.

Michael walked into the training room under the main apartment and grabbed the item thrown at him. Eyeing it over, he realized it was a staff. Shocked that it'd actually been thrown at him, he looked at his aggressor. Karina stood there with her own staff in hand and twirled it effortlessly. Amazed as he was for her sudden proficiency for the weapon she'd never been able to wield, he eyed her unsurely.

"I know why I couldn't do this before. Do you?" she asked slowly, still twirling the staff.

He walked closer, keeping his tight in his palm, "Why?"

"Because I was afraid of it. The _vampire_ in me was afraid of it. Wood. I've always been afraid of wood. Splinters, kebob sticks, pencils…made no difference. And that was why. The demon and the god weren't together. But I learned something."

"And what was that?"

She stopped twirling and lunged outwards, keeping the staff under tight control while extending it out towards his neck. He jumped.

"I'm not just a vampire. I'm immortal."

She adjusted her stance and held the staff perfectly, waiting for him to do the same.

"You think, because you're able to spin that thing, you can take me out?" Michael asked sardonically.

"I know it."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes."

"Quite an epiphany."

"Kamal helped in that department."

Piqued, Michael adjusted his own stance to be ready for the oncoming spar, "How so?"

"He staked me."

Michael, shocked as he was, could barely dodge the blow aimed for his neck. He managed to duck before she swiped again at his kneecaps, perfectly willing to break them with her stronger arms. He backpedaled and blocked another blow aimed for his neck. As he blocked the blows she delivered with deadly accuracy, he realized she wasn't grimacing like she normally would during a training session.

He swallowed hard as he realized she wasn't training. She was enjoying this.

That moment hesitation cost him feeling in his right arm and she swiped downward to disarm him quickly. He lost his staff and felt another blow land hard behind his knees. On his back, his breath taken for a moment, he saw her point the tip of the staff at his clavicle. She didn't just point. She pressed it down hard. With a truly gleeful smile, she just eyed him for a moment in his defenselessness.

"I win."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

There was a silence about the hotel. Caught up in the researching, everyone had stayed the night trying to discern what they could. Hope had slept silently and without any audible incidents. Angel had checked on her now and again, making sure she was okay. Now, after Fred brought back some doughnuts for the team, they were dealing with the sugar crash.

Hope walked down the stairs.

Fred smiled at her, "Hey, good morning."

"You're all here early," she said blandly.

"We stayed the night. We trying to find out what kind of demon Angel saw."

Hope seemed wounded, "Why didn't you wake me up? I would've helped."

"You needed your rest."

"Do you want to tell me what it looked like?" Hope asked.

"Lord of the Rings troll," Gunn spoke up.

Hope sat at the counter with a blank face, "Okay," she closed her eyes and seemingly sorted through her personal catalog of demons, "What color skin?" she asked.

"Moss."

"Height?"

"Ten to twelve feet," Angel said, waiting.

Hope opened her eyes and nodded, "Okay," she held out her hand and telekinetically brought an unresearched book to it.

Everyone stared at her.

She shrugged, "The Record Keeper keeps a catalog of them in my head. Makes the job easier," she explained, flipping through the pages. She came upon the woodcarving she wanted and placed the book on the counter for the others to see.

"This your guy?" she asked Angel.

"In the flesh," Angel allowed.

"Hr-ann-ouk."

"Ear an' nook?" Fred asked.

"Egyptian derivation; not in any of the modern textbooks. This guy roamed the earth before mankind…during the age of demons. By all accounts, he should be dead."

"So he's the only one of his kind?" Wesley asked.

"No. He belonged to an order of troll-like demons known as Pogroms."

"Sumerian for slaughter," Wesley understood.

"How many were in this order?" Fred asked, eyeing the picture.

"Thirteen."

"And if one is around, how many else are?" Angel sighed.

Hope chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment, "More or less all of them."

They all eyed her in disbelief. She slumped down tiredly, rubbing her forehead with one hand while tapping the counter with the other.

"How do we kill 'em?" Gunn asked.

Hope spared him a doubtful glance, "Anything akin to a nuclear warhead would be nice."

"You've fought them before?" Wesley asked.

"Back in the day."

"That bad?" Fred asked.

Hope nodded.

"And, being that he was surrounded by a good hundred vampires, this should be a piece of cake," Angel quipped.

"I'm not worried about the vampires. They won't be hard to take out," Hope said heavily. She tilted her head back and thought for a moment, then stood, "Thirteen demons. There must be thirteen cities. Los Angeles is one. We need to find the other twelve. Can you look on the computer and find the twelve deadliest cities in the world?"

Fred nodded and sat at the laptop, "Sure."

"What about the other five Hellmouths?" Angel asked.

"Might not be enough to get the numbers up."

Fred smiled, "Okay, into research we go."

Angel put his hands on Hope's shoulders and leaned close to her ear from behind, "So, while they research, you and I can go to the apartment."

She spun quickly and faced him, "I'd rather not."

He grabbed her by the hand as she moved away, "We need to get over there."

The others just stared at them. Wesley came closer, "Facing what happened might make things easier."

"He's right."

Hope kept her eyes on the floor, "I don't want to face it."

"It'll help. I promise."

She inhaled deep and started walking towards the basement. Angel gave a grateful look to Wesley before he started to follow her.

* * *

Hope eyed the closed door to her penthouse. Angel was behind her, holding her shoulders and trying to steady her. She turned to face him.

"I can't do this."

He kissed her, "Yes, you can."

"Last time we came here, everything went kaplooie," she reminded him.

"Well, maybe this time it won't," he tried to seem reassuring.

She inhaled deeply, faced the door, and opened it. Most of the décor in the living room was shattered from the kaplooie visit. Angel took one of his hands from her shoulders to close the door, then quickly put it back, hoping that physical contact would help her keep her mental control. He looked around and repressed his own memories.

"See? You're doing okay so far," he said softly.

She nodded, reaching her hand up to take his and hold it tightly. He guided her to the bedroom where everything had happened. For a moment, when they crossed the threshold, the furniture rumbled and some of the pictures fell from her vanity. Angel took his free hand and moved it, wrapping it around her front side above her chest. His sensitive fingers could feel where Wesley's bullet had hit here; she wasn't strong enough to get rid of the scar yet.

"We're just going to lie down. Nothing can go wrong," he whispered.

She nodded again, her lips pressed together tightly.

The laid down on the sheet-less bed, back to chest. He kept his arm across her front, feeling her heart slowing as the anxiety passed. He kissed her on the shoulder, grateful he could help her.

"Doesn't it bother you?" she asked.

"What?"

"Being here? Visiting the places where something terrible happened?" she asked quietly, running her fingers over his.

"I guess it doesn't. Not as much. After everything that happened as Angelus, I've gotten over the places. They don't matter. The actions do."

Hope just kept holding onto his hand, trying to ignore the images that kept coming into view. Angel kissed her on her shoulder again, trying to comfort her. She rolled to face him, running a finger across his cheekbone. He ran his fingers through her hair, tempted and willing. They kissed once and he pulled away gently.

"This isn't why we came here."

"Works though, doesn't it?" she asked, kissing his neck.

He smiled as she ran her tongue over his clavicle, kissing it afterwards. She rolled him onto his back and sat on top of him, tracing his abs under his shirt. All he could do was watch her loving eyes as they pierced his. He put his hands on her waist, holding her there.

She leaned over and kissed him again, "Not like it isn't romantic."

His brow furrowed. She sat up again and he felt his dead heart skip a non-beat when he saw her demonic face. She leaned down again and sank her teeth into him.

* * *

Fred eyed the computer screen. She wrote down another bit of information on a legal pad close by, then continued to scan what she could. She sighed, wishing she'd volunteered to go with Wesley when he went out for reference books. But Gunn had called it first and now she was left to do the computer work alone for the time being.

She looked up as the front double doors opened. A woman walked in. Fred didn't recognize her; she assumed she was a walk-in client. So, with a gracious smile, she walked over to her.

"Hi. Can I help you with something?" she asked.

The woman eyed her and looked around, "Is Angel here?"

"He's out for the moment. I can call him if you'd like," she offered.

"If you don't mind."

* * *

Wesley looked at the clock. He hadn't realized how late it was. He'd gotten caught up in the browsing and buying. He sighed heavily, ready to head back to the Hyperion and get on the task at hand. Although things had been relatively slow since the First was defeated at La Paz, things concerning Hope hadn't seemed to slow down.

She was back to being herself for the most part, but everyone noticed the changes that had root from her two unholy experiences. Now, when she fought, she was like Angel—quick to put on the _other_ face to intimidate her enemy. Quicker to insult than usual, she didn't get over it for hours, if not days—there'd been a time when minutes was all she needed at most. But now she was a ghost of her godly self. Nothing more than a shadow. Her voice was blunt and earthly; he could remember it sounding like water and air. And, for all measures, she wasn't too worried about her and Angel exposing their relationship to anyone.

She had changed so much in less than a few weeks. It was sad, in some small way, to think she was more like Angel. She was supposed to be the ultimate goodness…but now she was just a half-breed with connections and powers beyond imagination. She didn't have the prestigious air she once did…and she knew it.

They all knew it.

Those little things were what made him eye her when she stood close to him. The same went for Fred, too. It wasn't that they didn't trust her. It was just that, like Angel coming off Angelus, she was capable of drinking from them—had done so—and wasn't entirely cured of her cravings for _real_ blood. Although she'd been more hooked onto the blood of vampires and half-breeds, she drank from them. And, worst of all, they remembered it.

He looked to Gunn, "I think we have all we need," he said absentmindedly.

"Works for me. I don't think I've ever had this many books at one time in my arms," he complained.

Wesley paid for the books he'd selected, took half the burden from Gunn, and walked out of the store, grateful he'd found anything at all.

* * *

Hope jerked awake as the phone rang. She wiped sweat from her face and heard Angel pick up the phone, grateful that it had been a nightmare. The conversation was quick and he walked back to her, slipping his hand over her shoulder again.

She quickly sat up and got off the bed, unable to sleep in it. He eyed her, almost knowing what had happened. He followed, trying to keep her calm.

"Talk to me," he asked as she started for the door.

"Nightmare."

"That doesn't mean you have to leave."

"Who called?"

"Fred. A woman at the Hyperion is asking for me."

"You should go."

"I don't want to leave you alone."

"I'll be fine."

"Hope."

"I'm gonna head to the shops, see if I can't get my mind off everything. I'll meet you at the Hyperion later," at his questioning glance, she tried to smile a bit, "I will. I just need some time alone."

Angel didn't like the idea but he knew Hope could, for the most part, take care of herself. And he didn't want to crowd her. He picked up his coat from the bar and walked over to her. He embraced her snugly, kissing her once.

"Thanks."

"It's what I'm here for."

They walked out of the apartment together, Hope casting one glance over her shoulder to look at the interior again. With a mental shudder, she closed the door and locked it, thankful the day was almost over.

* * *

2019, New York City, New York

Michael eyed Karina as she sat at the dinner table alone. Her date had left her there, had never showed up. Even with all her power, she didn't make him act against his will. Her eyes were downcast and she played with a napkin. A single tear fell to the lavish tablecloth and created a darker circle to be seen on it. Her jaw muscles worked themselves in pain. In her blue Cinderella dress, she waited for the night to end.

No longer able to take her emanating sadness, Michael walked over to her through the crowd of tuxedos and Manhattan royalty. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up hopefully, her eyes showing her disappointment and simultaneous gratefulness.

"Can I join you?" he asked simply.

She nodded, sitting straighter and putting the napkin aside.

"I see Cullen didn't show."

"No. He didn't."

Michael reached across the table and lifted her chin so she would look at him, "It's okay to cry, you know."

"Not allowed to cry. It's not what a goddess does."

"But a teenaged girl is allowed to. Under it all, you're still a child."

She eyed him with dark and desolate eyes, "Then why do I feel so old?"

He smiled at that, "Comes with the territory. But, in all my time, I've learned that things happen for a reason."

"Then why did this happen?"

He shrugged, "I don't know. Only you can know. It might take you a while, but you'll figure it out. That's what the goddess does."

She bit her lip and held back tears, "I really cared about him. I thought he was the one."

"The one?"

She looked down again, "I thought he would be my first. I wanted him to be," she admitted.

Michael smiled at that; she was so honest and so true to herself. But still she could hurt. With all the power at her fingertips, she could hurt. He couldn't remember a time when he felt sympathy for anyone; since receiving his own gifts, he'd cut himself off. He'd let humans deal with their pain on their own.

But with Karina, he could feel what she felt. The pain and disappointment, the utter sense of loss and betrayal.

"Maybe he wasn't the one."

She met his gaze, "Then who is?"

He smiled at her eagerness, "You have eternity to find the right one. Don't give it away at nineteen. Wait until the man doesn't want it from you. Then you know he's the one."

"I don't understand."

"The man who won't take advantage of you is the one you want. He's the one that'll be true to you. I've seen it countless times."

"Is it worth the wait?"

He nodded, "It is."

She nodded in simple acceptance, "Doesn't make me feel better now."

"Everything happens for a reason. You'll find a good man who you deem worthy enough to have you; not who you feel worthy enough for."

And, somewhere off in the distance of New York City, in an alleyway, Angelus fed from Cullen, tearing his heart from his chest after the drink was taken.

* * *

Angel knew Hope was hurting. He could feel it. Her mind kept recycling the images of the nightmare she'd had; from her reaction to them, he knew they were of the killing variety. He was grateful they'd been at the apartment as long as they were; it was good for her. Trying to think of better times, he opened the basement door and walked into the Hyperion atrium. As he pulled off his long coat, he saw Kate Lockley.

He just eyed her for a moment, unsure of what she was doing here. It seemed like so long ago he'd saved her from suicide. Now she looked perfectly fine.

"Kate?"

She nodded, "Yeah. Hi."

Awkwardly, they hugged. Angel smiled warmly, grateful for a friendly face, "What brings you back to Los Angeles?"

"Trouble. What else?"

"You two know each other?" Fred asked, unsure of the situation.

Angel nodded, "Yeah. She was a detective here for a while. We worked some cases together."

"And tried to kill each other a few times."

"What are you doing nowadays?" Fred asked cheerfully.

"I'm in Denver. A detective again," she said with some pride.

"You're back on the force. That's great," Angel complimented her, knowing being kicked off it was what made her go for suicide, "You said you came here for trouble reasons?"

"Yeah. The cops I work with know…about vampires…and we've been finding a big increase in the undead population. Not to mention their victims."

Angel and Fred shared a glance, "Sounds like what's happening here."

"Same problem?"

Fred nodded, "Our undead population jumped, too. We think we found the cause."

Lockley waited for any explanation.

"It seems that an ancient race of demons is trying to regain the world. They're using vampires as their army," Angel said.

"Any idea how we take them out?"

"That's what these are for," Wesley said as he and Gunn walked in.

"Wow. That's a lot of books," Fred said.

"They ain't light, neither."

Wesley paused as he finally realized who the blonde woman was, "Miss Lockley. It's been a while."

"Yeah. So I gather."

"You look well."

"You look…different," she said awkwardly.

Gunn smiled, "Nah. He always looks like that—you get used to it after a while."

Wesley ignored the insult and put the books down. Gunn did the same, greeting Kate afterwards.

"So, I hear we both have the same problem."

"Vampires running amuck on the night shift," Gunn concluded.

"You think a group of demons are organizing them?"

"Yeah. We found a following near the subway off Jackson. They're hiding it somehow. Not sure how to get in yet," Angel sighed.

"But why now?"

"Because now the First isn't the major evil power anymore," Hope said, walking in, "It has been taken down a few pegs—other demons will try to fill those pegs."

Angel quickly walked over to her, "You okay?"

She shrugged him off, "Fine. Kate Lockley, right?"

Kate nodded, unsure, "That's right."

"Where's home these days?"

"Denver…just west of it, actually; how do you know all this?"

"My job."

"And that explains it completely."

"Hope has some…experience," Gunn said unsurely.

"So the Pogroms are trying to gain some power?" Wesley asked, bringing them all back to the important subject.

"Which is not what we want. The First may be a bastard to fight, but at least It can't do any extreme damage on Its own. These guys are as material as they come. They get what they want, they'll run the world. Bring forth the worst of the worst…not to mention perpetual night."

"What do they want?" Fred asked.

"This."

She tossed a package the width of a postcard on the counter. They all looked at it. Angel went to touch it.

"Don't."

"Why not?" he backed away.

"It's the heart of the Judge."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Great. Just great."

"The Judge?"

Angel nodded, "He was a demon. He could burn a person alive from the inside. Anything with a soul was fair game."

Hope pulled off her unnecessary coat and sat herself up on the counter. She picked up the box and held it on her lap, "You said the same thing is happening in Denver?" she asked Kate.

Still confused, Kate just nodded.

"Doesn't make any sense," Angel followed Hope's thought.

"Why not?" Fred asked.

"Denver isn't one of the deadliest cities of the world. Same with L.A., if you think of it. Crime, maybe. But overall deaths? Doesn't make sense why Hr-ann-ouk would set up shop here."

"Is there anything Denver and L.A. have in common to demons like him?" Gunn asked.

"Nothing that comes to…mind."

"What?" Angel asked, unsure if she was having a vision.

"They have people like me in common."

"What do you mean?" Kate asked.

"I was born in Denver. The messiah that heralded me was born here, in L. A."

"Messiah?" Kate asked disbelievingly.

Angel glanced at her, "I'll explain later."

"No!" Kate said quickly, tired of not knowing what was happening, "You'll explain now."

Hope threw herself off the counter and landed with sure feet, the package still in her hands. She looked down at Kate, her eyes tired and deep, "Maybe when we avert the end of the world I'll take the time to care. But for now, you came to us. To Angel. That means you listen to me. Understood?" she asked sternly.

Angel put his hand on Hope's shoulder, "Back off," he tried to pull her back.

She didn't budge, just eyed Kate, "You can pull your gun if you want. It won't even faze me. You see, I'm not like Angel. A vampire, yes. But only half. The other half of me is very powerful and very tired of dealing with the _crap_ that comes my way. You want to handle the apocalypse by yourself, be my guest. If not, get the hell out of my way," she said vehemently, walking away with the package in hand up to her old room.

Angel sighed heavily, "I'm sorry. She's been uptight lately."

"She always that bitchy?"

"Usually to the other team, not to us," Gunn allowed.

Angel eyed him pointedly.

"What? She is."

"But she deserves some leeway. She has been through a lot," Wesley defended her.

"Like what?"

"Being possessed."

"Crucified."

"Stuck in Hell."

Kate's angry face softened slightly, "Oh."

* * *

Hope tried to keep her legs from falling asleep. She was balanced on her hands with her shins on her back upper arms. With her eyes closed, she tried to keep her equilibrium. Her mind kept going back to the pain of the crucifixion. She could feel the pain as nails went through her ankles, shattering bone and tearing muscle. She clenched her jaw, trying to push it away.

But it kept haunting her.

"You would do well to accept my help, Young One," He said, standing in a corner.

"Leave."

"Do not blame me for what happened."

She fell, face forward, onto the carpet. She stood angrily and eyed Him, "I can and I will. You let that happen."

"It was a test, Young One. You passed."

"I don't give a shit about Your tests or Your approval. You put the people I love in danger!" she pointed a finger at Him.

He tried to keep His calm, "You know that was the intention of the test. Not of me."

"You could've kept them safe. You could've kept me from hurting them!"

"You never hurt them. The First did."

"Don't give me that shit! My body! My hands! My voice! It was me. I was It."

"Calm yourself," He said sternly.

"I think You should leave," she lowered her voice but kept the same intensity.

"You believe you can fight the Pogroms alone? They are pure and powerful. One, perhaps. But all of the order? How will you fight them?"

"I'll find a way. Without _You_."

He lowered His head slightly, "I understand your anger, Young One. I just hope you will not allow it to cloud your judgment. You will receive no help from me. That much I can promise you," He said finally, taking a last glance at her before departing in a puff of smoke.

Hope felt anger well up. She wished so much that she could forget everything He'd allowed her to go through. Everything He tested her on. But she couldn't. No matter the distaste, it was a part of her now and she would have to adjust.

She didn't want to adjust.

* * *

Angel's head shot up as he heard a shatter. It sounded like a thunderclap. Dropping the book his face had been buried in, he ran up to Hope's room. She was the only one who could make that sound. She was the only one who had that kind of power. Footsteps followed behind him as he took the stairs two, three at a time. Running down the hall, he rounded the corner and tore the door to her room open. He stopped in his tracks.

Hope was standing with her back to him. The exterior wall in front of her had a gaping hole in it. Unlike the other three walls, the one with the hole was made of solid brick, several layers thick. He smelled the blood before he saw it. Looking down a bit, he saw her bloody fist dripping it onto the floor. The dust from the mortar still fell to the ground, coating everything. Her other hand was glowing a warm red, her powers still at her surface.

He held out his arm as Wesley tried to enter the room. Unsure of Hope's mentality and knowing she was unpredictable as ever, he took a step back.

"Hope?"

She didn't say anything, didn't budge. She just stood there, her clenched fists at her side. The bloody one continued to drip. He stepped to the side, trying to get a view of her face.

"Hope?"

She turned slowly to face him. Mortar dust covered her face, making her ivory skin look dull and sallow. Her eyes were tired, her furrowed brow her only display of emotion. Seeing the warmth behind those eyes, he took another step closer to her.

"Listen to me, Hope. I know you're in pain. But we can't do this without you. You're the only one who's ever faced these guys before. I need you here. I need you to hold on for me, okay? Can you do that?"

She nodded, one tear falling down her cheek and clearing a small path of mortar dust.

"Okay. Why don't you come downstairs and help us figure out what to do next?" he held out a hand for her.

Her eyes met his. She stepped away from the wall and closer to him. He watched the wall piece itself back together as she came closer to him. He looked to Wesley. The former Watcher stepped aside from the door. Hope walked out, looking at her fists. The one cooled and the red glow was lost. The other, she only stared at for a moment.

Angel took it up in his own, "We can bandage this."

She pulled away from his touch, "I'm fine."

He watched it heal. The exposed bone and shredded flesh mended, she walked back down the hall and towards the stairs.

In the atrium, Angel saw the others standing at attention, unsure of Hope's blank stare. Fred tried to approach her but she walked right past.

"Is everything all right?" she looked to Angel.

He shrugged, "She blew a hole through the wall."

"Punched," Hope corrected as she stood in front of the bookcase.

"So you okay, then?"

She looked to Gunn blankly. Taking a book from the shelf, she laid it on the counter, open. She opened to a page that had a daguerreotype of one of the Pogroms.

Angel eyed her, unwilling to believe that she was fine. The display of raw power, no matter the circumstances, was unnerving. He'd felt her powers, seen them firsthand, but they'd never been destructive. Never been a threat under her control. Never posed a roadblock before the First got a hold of her. As much as he valued her strength and her expertise, he knew she was a loose cannon. She'd been aimed at the wall. But he didn't know where her next shot would go.

"If Hr-ann-ouk is setting shop up here, one of his buddies must be in Denver. That means there are eleven more demons we need to find. If they are settling into towns that brought forth messiahs, then we're not flying blind."

"You know who the others are?" Kate asked.

"Two were born in the United States. The others, around the world. I know who they were but I have to ask you to find out where they were born. Once we know where the demons are located, we can start talking combat plans. For now, they want that package. Once they know it's here, they'll send soldiers to retrieve it. We can't let them get their hands on that box," Hope said slowly.

Angel nodded, agreeing, "Works for me. Fred, you'll be doing computer research. Hope can give you the names to look up. Wesley, I want tactical info on the other Pogroms. Vulnerabilities, size, anything you can get. Gunn, I want you pulling in any ties you have on the streets. Get any good weapons you can: flame throwers, the works. Pay anything. I'll give you money. Kate, you'll get in touch with your chief and tell him what is going on. Tell him to keep taking out vamps but don't go looking for the source," Angel continued, pausing to look at Hope and the others around him, "Got it?"

One by one, they nodded. Fred pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, looking at Hope afterwards, "What about you guys?"

Angel crossed his arms over his chest, "I want to scope out Hr-ann-ouk's temple. If we can see his army, we can make a better plan."

Hope's face fell. She didn't like his plan.

"Just the two of you? Shouldn't we all go?" Gunn asked.

Hope shook her head, "The vampires can sense a human. He and I might have a shot of being undetected…at least for a while."

* * *

Hr-ann-ouk eyed the miniscule being in front of him. The little creature was pompous and arrogant; he questioned the great demon's motives. But, he had something that Hr-ann-ouk wanted to know.

"You say the Young One is coming?" he asked, his voice reverberating through the halls and arches.

"She is. She and that pathetic excuse for a vampire. They'll be here within two hours."

Hr-ann-ouk slammed his fist on his stone throne, "She will perish as soon as I set my eyes upon her!"

The entity laughed, "No, she won't. She's beaten you before. She's smarter, faster, and more powerful than anything you've ever known. She'll kill any soldier you throw in her way."

"How dare you doubt my power!"

"I dare because the Young One is made to survive. That is the core of what she is. Not love, not hope…survival. She has the basic human instinct of self-preservation. That is what makes her dangerous. She doesn't act like a demon. She acts like a human," the entity smiled knowingly, trying to keep as much information as he could from the larger demon to give himself a playing card.

"If what you say is true, then how can she be defeated?"

The haughty being laughed, "You can't defeat her. But you can hurt her," he smiled vindictively, knowing exactly where the Young One was most vulnerable, "You can hurt her. Her humanity is what'll hurt her. And it'll hurt bad. The Hyperion has several vulnerable entrances. You're best bet is to send them onto the roof. The others won't be expecting an attack from above," the entity said.

"And the power center?" Hr-ann-ouk asked.

"Search the rooms. It'll be in one of them. Most likely on the second floor. The humans won't pose much of a threat. But, I would recommend not killing them."

"Why?"

"The Young One will be more distracted by their injuries than by their deaths. Not to mention you can use them later. That could give you a valuable card, their capture."

Hr-ann-ouk eyed him, "Very well. Now leave."

The entity smiled, "My pleasure."

* * *

2023, Jerusalem

Michael felt his bones crack as he was thrown against the wall. Karina watched him wince in pain, his own ability to heal himself nonexistent, at best. She stood up and gathered energy from the air around her, letting it form into spheres above her hands. She threw them both at Angelus. He ducked and swung at her with a lance. She ducked and grabbed her fallen sword. As the lance came around again, she brought up her sword and dislodged the half closer to her.

Angelus smiled and advanced at her, the back half of the lance still firmly in his grasp. He came closer and eyed her threateningly. He tried to bring the lance down onto her neck. She saw an opening and thrust her sword forward into his gut. He faltered and she took the lance from him.

"You're not getting to that seal."

Behind them was the seal of the Hellmouth. It waited for the general of the First to place upon it the very essence of evil. Karina wasn't about to let him open not just this one, but all of the Hellmouths there were in the world—six altogether. She wouldn't let humanity suffer what would come next.

He stayed there, panting in pain.

"I won't let you," she added.

She brought the lance pole up to stake him as he remained bent over. At her down swing, he tore the sword from himself and used it to block her blow. Her eyes went wide in surprise as his vampiric face looked at her in pure thrill of the moment.

"Oh. Yes. You will," he promised her.

He threw his weight forward and threw her backwards. She righted herself as fast as she could and lowered the pole to take a sweep at his ankles. He jumped and avoided it, still trying to move towards the seal. Michael lunged at him from the sidelines and the two of them tumbled to the ground. Karina let her momentum carry her through the swing and she stood again. As Angelus hovered over Michael, Karina brought the pole up again, ready to stake him.

He turned and grabbed her by the throat, his other hand firmly keeping Michael pinned to the floor.

Karina dropped her pole and tried to grab at his fingers and pry them from her throat. Stronger than she was, he had no trouble keeping a firm grip. He smiled at her. With a boot on Michael's chest, he raised his sword with his free hand and thrust it downwards.

Karina watched Michael's face as the pain sunk in. Angelus stood and brought Karina with him. He held her off the floor, both her hands at his wrist. He smiled and leaned in close, his fangs all she could see.

"If I remember correctly, he can't heal himself," he looked over his shoulder at the dying Michael, "Hmm. I think you should save him."

With a great burst, he threw Karina across the cavern. She landed hard and coughed. But she was on her feet quick.

Angelus strolled towards the seal, knowing what Karina would choose.

Karina skidded down to her knees and took Michael's face in her hands. He was pale and getting paler. She moved one hand over his heart and pulled the sword out with the other. He shuddered slightly.

Angelus tore open a pouch he'd had on his belt. Standing to the side of the seal, he spoke in Latin and let the contents of the pouch pour out onto it. The ground rumbled as the seal of the Hellmouth opened after thousands of years of subtle power. Angelus cackled.

Karina let her power seep into Michael as she partially covered him with her body to keep debris from falling onto him. She could feel his heart beat stronger and his pulse rage back to life. But the Hellmouth was opening and now there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Angelus strolled back over to her and smiled vengefully, "Now, I have an army. Thanks. You gave me a nice little workout."

Karina stared up at him, "This isn't over," she swore, her voice quavering as smoke and dust rose from the seal.

Angelus kicked her in the face, throwing her away from Michael. He moved over to her, seeing her lying there, "No. It isn't. There's so much more I can do to you," he promised.

Karina fell back, unconscious, as the beginning of the end of the world started.

* * *

"These are them?" Fred asked, eyeing the names in front of her.

"Yeah. I know Michael was born in…Salzburg, Austria. The others you'll have to look up," Hope said apologetically.

Fred smiled, sitting at the computer, "No worries. I'll have it done in a snap."

"Thanks."

Angel walked up to her, "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be. You sure you wanna do this?"

His brows raised, "Only one way to find out."

Wesley looked up from his books, "Be safe."

"Don't call. We'll be back before dawn."

Moving towards the basement door, Hope led the way. They walked among the sewers quietly, no real conversation able to take root. Angel eyed her back, not knowing if there was anything he could say at a time like this. He noticed the junction up ahead.

"This is it."

Hope looked around for the mystical release and smiled once she found it. She placed her hand on a piece of rebar protruding from the wall, letting her energy pick the lock. She looked over her shoulder at Angel.

"Game face time," she said, her own face changing.

Angel allowed himself to give in, waiting for Hope to open the lock.

The concrete wavered and dissipated to show a stairwell. They walked in, the concrete reforming behind them. Angel was taken aback by the immensity of the temple but continued to walk.

Hundreds upon hundreds of vampires were moving around at the bottom of the stairwell. Off to the left was a grand throne and on it sat Hr-ann-ouk. Hope repressed her desire to run and continued walking. The temple itself was beautiful. Marble columns held up the gothic ceiling and shimmering stalagmites and stalactites dripped and caught golden water. Stairwells twisted and turned, leading to corridors and balconies.

_Nice looking place for a demon,_ Angel allowed.

_Sophisticated bastard._

Angel smiled at that and the two of them continued to walk. At the bottom of the stairs, vampires, most of them loving her looks, greeted Hope. She paused and allowed Angel to come up besides her, taking his arm in hers to show that she was taken. Likewise, several females were eyeing Angel.

Hope and Angel made their way through the crowd towards another stairwell. Hope could instinctively feel where the command center was and she wanted to get there. She wanted to see inside the mind of Hr-ann-ouk and know what his plans were. And if she could find the location of the other eleven Pogroms, there would be no second-guessing.

_You know where you're going?_ Angel asked.

She just nodded, weaving her way through the crowd. At the stairwell, two demonic guards eyed her. She smiled.

"We only wish to give tribute to Hr-ann-ouk the Devourer," she said simply, tilting her head to one side coquettishly.

They looked at one another, "Go ahead," one of them said gruffly, eyeing the crowd.

Hope and Angel ascended the stairwell, Hope keeping her eyes out for any guards that might stand in her way. They reach the topmost balcony and Hope paused a moment to see the masses below.

_Amazing, isn't it?_ she asked Angel.

_What?_

_ To think that vampires would hold him in such high regards. I remember what that was like. Being worshipped and leading armies. Not the worst feeling in the world,_ she said nostalgically.

_You sound like you miss it._

_ In some ways. Everything was so much clearer back then. Black and white. No gray. That simplicity ...I miss it._

_ But now you've got me,_ Angel said, smiling wanly.

She looked at him with his demonic visage, knowing hers was just as gruesome, and smiled, _I wouldn't trade that for anything,_ she assured him.

They continued to walk, Hope letting her instincts lead them.

* * *

Kate Lockley eyed Fred, not knowing her story. The others she'd seen on a few occasions; most of those times weren't by the best circumstances. But she'd never seen Fred before. She assumed she was a simple human. No demon could be that tiny and pose a threat.

Wesley walked out from the kitchen with a pot of tea and some cups. He handed one to Fred and she smiled, still deeply involved with the computer. Taking the tray towards where Kate was sitting, she shifted and made room on the couch.

"Ginseng," he offered her the cup.

She took it and felt the warmth spread through her palm, "Thanks."

"You've been quiet," Wesley noticed, pouring cream into his own cup.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"A few things. I don't remember seeing Fred here when I left."

"She was trapped in another dimension. We brought her back not long after you left Los Angeles. She'd been there for five years. Humans were hunted, sold as slaves; demons ruled that place," Wesley thought aloud, remembering the meek woman they'd all come to know had immense strength.

"You like her?" Kate asked with a little smile, lowering her voice confidentially.

Wesley just eyed Fred, "Is it that obvious?"

"To a woman, yeah. No worries; I won't tell," she gently clinked glasses with him.

He took a sip, "Much appreciated," Wesley put down his cup and kept his eyes on the balcony, "Do you have your gun on you?" he asked.

She followed his gaze to see vampires walking from the shadows.

They both ran to the counter and grabbed at weapons, Fred realizing the threat and pulling out a few sharpened pencils from the desk.

"Where's Gunn?" she asked randomly, knowing he should've been back.

"I'm afraid he's out getting more weapons," Wesley said, the three of them backing up and trying to keep together.

* * *

Hope released Angel's hand, the wall behind them. He shook his head free of the metaphysical disturbance and tried to regain his equilibrium. Hope eyed him.

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just not used to walking through walls."

She shrugged, "You get used to it."

"Tell me again why we didn't use the door," he started staggering towards where she was.

She let him lean on her, "Ten armed guards that don't let anyone in."

"I'd rather have taken them on," he said as Hope sat him down on a bench; he held onto his head and exhaled deeply, "It doesn't hurt you at all?"

She shook her head, "Nope. You stay there. I'll take a look at the schematics," she said, pulling out the mystical equivalent of a journal.

She tried to see who Hr-ann-ouk had recently contacted and where. She found several suspicious mentions of several towns around the world. She made a quick mental note of them and kept on browsing. One part of the journal granted her access to the weapons and she eyed the inventory, not happy about the assortment Hr-ann-ouk had in storage. She closed the book, knowing there wasn't much more she could get from the log.

The door opened.

She dashed back to where Angel was and pulled him off the bench, pressing her hand hard against his chest. They both disappeared.

_Don't say a word,_ she spoke to him.

_They can't see us?_

_ No. Just stay close to me,_ she said, moving sideways and keeping her hand on him. They watched the demons move around to take off gear they had on. She knew they weren't demons from this dimension. She could feel the waves pulsing off them from transit. They were speaking an unknown language. She wished she'd taken time to learn interdimensional demonic languages. But, while they talked, she and Angel stayed still, keeping themselves hidden from view. Another demon walked in and barked orders at them in broken English. She didn't know what they pertained to, but she knew it was something about a ritual. With that, the demons left and closed the solid door behind them. Hope waited until she was sure they were gone and then took her hand from Angel's chest, his form coming back into view. Her own body returned a moment later.

"Didn't know you could do that," Angel said simply.

"I didn't know I could either," at his confused look, she shrugged, "The First did it while It had my body. Figured I could do it, too."

"Good theory. Find anything?"

"All bad news. Hr-ann-ouk has major weapons. Things I wouldn't want to go against at full power. According to his inventory, he has five hundred vampires as infantry. He also has a few dozen hikatas."

"What are they?"

"A flying demon. Big as a semi. Nasty bastards. And that's just his present inventory. More demons are being brought in from other dimensions. He'll have two hundred or so by the end of the week."

"So we really don't like this guy."

"But, we have some advantages. As long as we keep that package from him, he can't bring about night. That keeps almost all of his army in here. We can work with that," she sighed, hoping to keep finding good news.

* * *

Fred landed hard on the tiled floor, desperately reaching for her sharpened pencil. The vampire that lunged at her was dusted. She scrambled to her feet to move away from the next vampire, waiting for reinforcements at any moment. But the pit in her gut told her none were forthcoming. Wesley and Kate were taking out any vampires they could without leaving the somewhat-secure counter. That at least kept the majority of the vampires at their front.

"Got anything better?" Kate asked as she threw out her second magazine.

Wesley reached under the desk and pulled out a battle axe, "Have fun!"

Kate, although unfamiliar with the weapon, knew the reason Wes had given it to her. With a great swing, one head flew and became dust before it hit the ground. Kate hefted the weapon back up to neck level and took another unwieldy swing.

Wesley was thrown up against the wall, the sheetrock cracking. He fell onto the desk, the computer pushed off and the display cracking. He spat out blood from his lungs and tried to get back up. He found that one of his legs cried out in pain as he tried to put weight on it.

Fred knelt next to him and dusted the vampire that had thrown him. She helped him up and picked up his fallen stake and hand axe. With the majority of his weight on the desk, he tried to keep the vampires at bay.

Fred, as she rushed for the weapons' cabinet to bring back better ones, was thrown forward as a vampire rammed her. She hit her head on the column at the edge of the counter and felt the world spin beneath her body. She tried to see what was hovering over her. Her vision cleared to see a vampire, his fangs bared, about ready to bite into her neck.

"Fred!" Gunn's voice reached her confused ears.

The vampire exploded in a dusty mass and she saw Gunn leaning over her in his stead, picking her up like a child and keeping her safe while aiming—she didn't know with what—and dusting the vampires that were still trying to have dinner.

"Stay with me, Fred. Stay with me!" Gunn demanded, trying to keep her awake as blood started to flow from her ears.

* * *

Hope looked around the corner to see if anyone was coming. She didn't want to bring Angel back through the walls unless she had to. Seeing no immediate threat, she and Angel crept along the shadows on the balcony, trying to get back to the general area before anyone realized where they'd been. They made it to the stairs and descended them quickly, Hope's heartbeat racing for a reason she didn't know. She wasn't nervous. She could, if necessary, fight her way out of the temple. But her heart was fluttering. Her temples were pounding. It irked her that she had no clue why. But, she kept going, her and Angel again weaving through the masses.

As her heart continued to pound, she felt as if the vampires around her could hear it. And, her heart being the only one around, there was no din to drown it out. She tried to breath deeply without anyone seeing it, hoping that would calm her nerves. Angel took her hand, somehow sensing what was wrong.

_Hope?_

_ My heart, _she gasped.

_Yeah. I can hear it. We'd better go._

Her legs started to pump quicker, bringer her closer to the main stairwell, closer to freedom.

"It's been a while, Young One!" Hr-ann-ouk's voice bellowed.

She and Angel stopped as all eyes turned to them. She was left looking directly at the towering demon as he smiled vindictively. His yellow eyes and dripping mouth sneered at her. Sickly mottled skin caught the gleam of firelight.

"You didn't think I was that incompetent, did you?" he asked.

She threw off a hand that took her shoulder, knowing it was a guard, "I had every reason to think so. Last time we met, I wiped the floor with you," she smiled, answering him loudly.

He bellowed, angry at her insult, "How dare you! Have you learned nothing?"

She cocked an eyebrow, "A few new tricks," she said, her hand raised and a sphere of pure light emanating from it. Vampires ran as their flesh started to burn. Hope kept her other hand on Angel, protecting him from the sunlight at her beckon.

"How nice. But that won't stop me. Or my guards," he said.

Hope was knocked forward as a guard rammed her with a quarterstaff. Her light was extinguished and she threw herself back up, kicking the guard and taking his staff. With a burning palm, she ran her fingers over both ends and burnt away enough wood to create a point. She held it parallel to the ground, ready to lodge it into any vampire that came to close.

"You mistake my intentions, Young One," Hr-ann-ouk smiled, "I only wish to keep you here long enough to secure the possession of the power center," he started to laugh.

Hope realized now why her heart had started to beat faster. Her face portrayed her fear and her guilt. With a sudden fury, she threw the quarterstaff and took out several vampires, grabbing Angel and disappearing a burst of smoke.

Hr-ann-ouk smiled, knowing what she would find.

* * *

2023, New York City, New York

Karina walked along the desolate streets. Where once had been a hubbub of humans was now only a mass grave. The skyscrapers were either falling, on fire, or demolished completely. She looked next to her, seeing Michael.

"How could all this happen so quick?"

"Angelus' army. It had to have been."

Karina's eyes widened as she caught sight of something, "No," she whimpered.

She ran, full tilt, towards her horrific sight. Michael caught up with her, restraining her as she screamed in agony. Her strength was too much for him and she broke free, running up to the crucifix in front of the subway station.

She fell to her knees and was unable to cry, unable to say anything. She only watched the blood drip from Kamal's and her mother's beaten bodies to the asphalt below.

"She put up a fight, you know," a haughty and sinister voice said cheerily.

Karina looked to her side to see Angelus. She inhaled deeply, not wanting to face him again.

"You son of a bitch," Michael said angrily, standing next to Karina.

"How? You couldn't have gotten here so quick," Karina stuttered, standing shakily.

"News flash! I'm on the winning team. I've got friends in high places," Angelus sneered.

"I'll kill you," Karina threatened quietly.

Angelus made a sarcastically worried face, "Ooh, I'm scared now. Little goddess gonna hurt me?" he mocked her, "No, kid. You don't get to fight me. Not yet. But don't worry. You're death won't be so slow."

"I won't let you hurt her," Michael swore.

"Well, fun as this is, I have so many more girls to torture. Catch'ya later. Oh, and happy birthday," he winked at Karina.

Karina and Michael watched as the First enveloped the vampire in a mist and took him away to some other city to wreak havoc. Karina couldn't care. She just looked back on the form of her mother, knowing Angelus had tortured her. And that she had been alone. Karina hadn't been there to save her, to protect her.

Michael placed a hand on Karina's shoulder. At his touch, she cried terribly, dropping to her knees again and sitting in the soot of fallen buildings.

Michael looked to her quickly, "He's going after the Slayer."

He eyed Karina, waiting for her to get up and face the oncoming fight. She just cried, unwilling to face anything but her tortured family. He sat next to her, knowing the urgency the task required and also knowing he wasn't getting her back anytime soon. He sat there as she cried. There was one gasp and then nothing. She just became silent.

"Karina?" he asked.

She was past crying and now just sat in the soot, eyeing oblivion.

"Karina, we have to get moving."

She still didn't move.

He kneeled in front of her, placing his hands on her knees. She didn't seem to notice him and just continued to stare, "You need to help me."

"Can't help."

"What?"

"I can't help."

"Why not?"

"I failed."

He shook her knees in emphasis, "You _have not_ failed!"

"I did. He opened the seal. He summoned the armies. I should have stopped him," she droned logically.

"You saved my life."

"I made the wrong choice."

Michael nodded, "Maybe. But that doesn't mean you failed."

"I couldn't save her."

"There was nothing you could do."

"I could have been here sooner. I could have saved them."

Michael took her shoulder and shook her gently, "Stop it! You have a job to do! I need you here. When we get to Angelus, you can kill him. But I need you here!" he said strongly.

She eyed him for a moment out of shock more than anything. She stood quickly and turned her back on Kamal and her mother.

"He's going after the Slayer," Michael reminded her.

* * *

Angel found solid footing and followed Hope's gaze to see two ambulances parked out in front of the Hyperion.

Angel ran towards the scene.

Hope followed.

They found Kate. She was sitting on the curb, drinking a cup of water. Her blonde hair was pushed back and her forehead was bandaged. Gunn was standing off to the side, evidently unharmed.

"What happened?" Angel asked, taking Kate's shoulders in his hands.

"They attacked us. They took that package you were so worried about," she eyed Hope for a moment.

"Wesley? Fred?"

"Not good," she said as the ambulances pulled away, their sirens blaring, "The EMT said Fred had a concussion. He wouldn't let anyone in the ambulance with her. Wesley's leg is broken. He's got some head trauma, too," she said tiredly.

Hope knelt down next to her, "How about you?"

She scoffed, "I got off easy," she said pointing to her bandaged forehead.

Gunn walked over, "You two took your sweet time getting here," he said, looking pointedly at Hope.

She felt his anger, "I didn't know anything was wrong. Otherwise I would've been here, you know that."

"Yeah. I know."

Angel looked at Hope, "I'll go to the hospital, watch over them. Stay with her," he said, helping Kate stand.

"What if they come back?" Hope asked with the fear of a child

He stood, "You'll be fine. They won't come back. They got what they wanted."

Hope watched him run around to the back, heading for his car.

As the paramedics left, Gunn followed Kate and Hope back into the Hyperion. Aside from dust piles being scattered around the floor of the lobby, some of the marble columns were chipped and scorched. There were body-sized dents in the sheetrock. The computer was a loss, the only fatality they had suffered. A flamethrower lay on the counter. A bolt or two from a crossbow were in the far wall. Hope looked around wanly, "You put up a fight."

Kate smiled as Hope let her down onto a couch, "We tried."

Gunn eyed Hope, "Now they have the package."

"They can bring about eternal night. The sun won't rise tomorrow," she said, looking at the clock.

It struck midnight.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Angel sat next to Fred, his head laying on the empty part of the bed. Her hand was in his. A nurse walked in and smiled sympathetically. She gently shook Angel's shoulder. He snapped awake and looked at her, clearing his vision for a moment.

"Would you like me to bring you something, sir?"

He shook his head, "No, thanks," he said, rubbing his eyes.

"I have to get at her IV," she said softly, Angel moving himself for her.

She reconnected a bag of solution and then checked the vitals as they came out on the screen. With that, she smiled again at Angel, "Sorry to disturb you," she apologized.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost three in the morning."

"Can I make a call from this phone?"

She nodded.

He picked up the phone and dialed the Hyperion. He waited. Gunn picked up.

"Hi…No. No change…How's Kate doing?…okay…Is Hope okay?…Keep an eye on her for me, will you?…yeah…I'll call you…bye."

He hung up the phone and sighed, ready for this nightmare to be over. He took Fred's limp hand back in his hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. He looked over his shoulder as Wesley walked in on crutches.

"How is she?" he asked.

"No change. She's been out since they loaded her onto the ambulance. The doctor said the trauma was severe. The longer she's out, the more chance of brain damage there'll be. How about you?"

"Just a minor concussion. A fracture in my leg."

Angel nodded, "See that. How bad?" he asked.

"Normal."

"I'm sorry we weren't there."

"It's not your fault. Hope can't be aware of everything, especially after what she's been through. How'd it go at the temple?"

"All bad news. Hr-ann-ouk knew we were there. He just wanted us occupied until the vampires that came after you were done. Hope got a look at his army. Five hundred vamps. A few dozen out-of-town-ers that can fly. Nothing good," Angel said, keeping his eyes on Fred.

"I'll stay with Fred if you want to get back to Hope," Wesley offered.

"No. Gunn said she's fine. She already healed Kate. Did they release you?" Angel eyed his cast.

"Yes."

"Then you should head back. Hope can heal that and you guys can get back to work. I'll stay with Fred until Hope can make it over here."

Wesley nodded, "I'll give Hope the message. They've already called a taxi for me."

Angel nodded, "Keep me posted."

"I will."

Angel just sat at Fred's bedside, hoping that she would wake up on her own and need no healing touch from Hope. But, he knew that Hope would be willing to do it if it were necessary.

* * *

Hope offered Kate a cup of tea, "How's your head?" she asked.

"Fine. Just like it was two minutes ago from when you last asked me," she said with some annoyance.

Hope sat next to her, "I'm sorry. I feel bad that it happened."

Gunn leaned back onto the couch, "Why didn't you know what was goin' on?"

Hope decided to lie, "The temple must've blocked the telepathy," she looked up to see half a dozen weapons Gunn had managed to bring in, "This all of them?"

"All I could find."

Hope stood and walked over to them, eyed them as a whole. She looked to Gunn, "You try 'em out?" she asked.

"They work," he smiled as he hefted the large and obviously powerful flamethrower.

"Oh, good. A demonstration," Wesley hobbled in.

Hope looked at him, "Victim number two," she looked over her shoulder, "I want you guys to get some sleep until normal daytime. I need you rested," she ordered, then turned her attention back to Wesley, "Take a seat and I'll get going on that leg," she said, helping him over to the couch.

He did and put the crutches aside. Hope placed her hands on his chest, letting her mind find the breaks and bruises. Her powers seeped into him and his skin started to glow with a silver sheen. The gash on his forehead sealed completely and Hope could internally see the bones of his leg working themselves back together.

She took her hands from him and inhaled deeply, feeling the drain. When she opened her eyes, she placed a finger on his cast and broke it in two. She handed it to Wesley and stood, trying to sound perfectly fine, "You're good to go. How's Fred?" she asked.

"Same. Angel wants you to head over there when you can."

She nodded, accepting that, "You should get some sleep while I'm gone. The vampires won't be back now that they have what they want. You'll be safe," she assured them without being assured herself.

"We'll try."

* * *

Hope walked through the lightened hallways of the hospital, feeling the hundreds of minds screaming out in pain and agony. She hated hospitals. They were full of, for the majority, death and pain. The only great accomplishment here was birth. But there didn't seem to be that many innocents in the building. She assumed none were born earlier in the evening.

She found Fred's room and walked in to see Angel sleeping at her bedside. She knew he was tired. The consequence of walking through the wall still hadn't completely worn off; it had left him drowsy as a side affect.

She pulled up a chair on the other side of Fred. Warming her hands with her breath, she mentally closed the door. The slight noise it made woke Angel. He eyed Hope and smiled.

Hope placed a hand on each side of Fred's forehead. Slowly, Fred's body filled with silver light and it began to pulsate as her brainwaves registered on the scanner. Hope removed her hands and smiled as Fred opened her eyes.

"Hey."

"Back at you," Hope smiled.

Fred felt Angel squeeze her hand and looked over at him, still smiling, "You stayed with me?" she asked.

"Had to be the handsome man, right?"

"How long was I out?"

"Only a few hours," Hope answered.

"Gunn saved me."

"Yeah. He told me."

"Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine. I'll go get the doctor," Hope said, standing tiredly and leaving Angel at her bedside.

"She seems tired."

"We lost the package," Angel explained.

Fred made a pouty face, "Oh. Well that's no good," she started to perk up, some of her energy returning.

"It's got her down."

"And you?" she sat up a bit.

"Just worried about my girls."

"Well, Hope took care of one. I don't think she can heal herself so quickly."

"It'll take time.

"How're Wes and Kate?"

"Fine. Hope healed them before she came here."

"And Gunn?"

"Not a scratch."

Hope walked in with a doctor. Fred eyed her for a moment while her attention was on him. She seemed so worn out, so tired and feeble. But she still had a sense of dignity about her. But Fred knew otherwise, she could tell.

* * *

Hope nestled herself next to Angel, grateful that she still had him through all of this. He moved his arm and wrapped it around her upper back, keeping her close to him. He kissed her on the forehead, half asleep and weary from the night's events.

"Did you really mean what you said? About needing me in this?"

"I always need you."

"Do you trust me?"

He paused, "Yeah. I trust you."

"Thanks," she said, her voice dreamy, "I needed that."

There was silence for a moment. Angel intertwined his fingers with hers as they lay there, thinking, "Why didn't you know they were in trouble?" he asked, knowing it had been one of her specialties.

She inhaled deeply, "I'm not connected with the Old One anymore."

He eyed her worriedly.

"Most of my psychic and telepathic powers came from Him. Having Him in my head, tweaking what nerves needed to be activated. Without Him, most of the foresight is lost."

"Can you get it back?" Angel asked innocently.

"If I wanted to. But to have Him inside my head after everything that happened…it's awkward."

He kissed her again, "Don't worry. It'll take time to trust Him again. But you'll get there. I know that."

"How?"

"Because you're you. And you'll make do."

She tilted her head to look him in the eyes, "Don't tell the others?"

"Of course."

* * *

The creature loomed in front of her, taunting her with the limp form of her lover in its hand. Hope felt all of her energy gone, her will to survive this battle lost as her beloved was tossed aside like a rag doll. She watched him hit with hard force, the pillar cracking upon impact. She couldn't find the voice she needed to scream. She couldn't find the strength to fight the thing in front of her.

"Take the shot!" a voice called out from the sidelines.

Hope just eyed her lover. His body was slowly fading into nothingness, his eternal life gone, extinguished, by the creature.

"Take him down!" the voice called again.

The creature eyed her, ready to make her the next victim. And she found that she was willing to die if only she could bring back that light—the life that had been stolen from him.

* * *

Hope's eyes shot open, her heart pounding. The dream was disconcerting to say the least. But the man who had been thrown had no face. All she knew was the body meant something to her. That faceless person was dear and eternal.

Her eyes fell on Angel, knowing that he fit the description. Gently, she leaned closer and kissed him on the lips. He barely stirred, her feather-light touch nothing more than a passing tickle on his lips. She inhaled deeply and rolled over, facing the other way.

* * *

Hope woke up to a gentle prodding. She moaned in protest and rolled over, pulling the sheets over her face. They were pulled down quickly, revealing a better part of her body. She opened one eye slightly to see the culprit smiling at the foot of the bed. She rolled onto her stomach and put the pillow over her head.

"Guess what?" he asked, sitting next to her.

"What?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"The sun came up," he said, leaning closer to the pillow.

She spasmodically threw the pillow off her head and eyed the curtains to see filtered light. With squinted and light-sensitive eyes, she looked to Angel, "Am I dreaming?"

He leaned over and kissed her passionately. She grabbed at his neck, his passion fueling hers. She could feel his cool hands holding her in places only he could. They parted and she found herself smiling, "I guess I am."

"That good?"

She cocked an eyebrow, "Maybe I need another sample to be sure."

They kissed again, his hands still on her. She sat up with his kiss, holding her hands against his chest and letting him feel some of her power. They parted again and she looked at the curtains, "I wonder why."

"Wesley looked it up for you. Hr-ann-ouk needs the new moon. That isn't for a couple of days."

"So we have a day or two to get the heart back. All we have to do is walk into a heavily guarded temple run by a demon that knows we'll be coming, fight off purebred demons, and then we'll be home free."

Angel smiled, "All that can wait," he said suggestively, taking a firm hold of her.

She restrained a smile as he touched her ticklish spot. They kissed, Angel running his hands under her night blouse. She played along, letting him pull her onto his lap, her legs straddling his waist as he sat there, kissing her. She gently unbuttoned his shirt, her power warming him, giving him breath for the time being. He gasped as his heart started beating again, shocked into use by the strength of her. He kissed her all the more vigorously, gently pulling her blouse off.

* * *

Fred smiled. Angel came down the stairs, trying to seem nonchalant. Although no one else might've noticed, Fred knew he was rebuttoning his shirt; this shirt was different than the one he'd gone upstairs in. She had to smile, knowing he and Hope had kindled a small flame while they could. She knew it must've been hard for them. Their relationship had only just blossomed when he was abducted by Bringers and tortured. Then Hope had been possessed, making it hard for Angel to accept her devious nature. But, like all good things, the two of them endured and put the terrible ordeal behind them.

Angel walked over to his mini-fridge and pulled out a small container of blood, drinking most of it up. He stopped mid-gulp and looked at Fred. She just continued to smile, knowing that _he_ knew that _she_ knew. She looked back to the book she was looking in, trying to find one last reference for Hope.

Angel carried his food and walked over to her, just standing there for a moment.

"Is there something you find amusing?"

"A little hungry, are we?"

He pursed his lips without comeback for a moment, then smiled, "I can only imagine how much you'd be eating," he said slyly, walking away before Fred could smack him playfully.

He walked towards the busted computer, trying to pick it up without the liquid leaking from the shattered display. He looked above where the desk was and sighed, pointing at the shattered sheetrock.

"Who was this?"

"Me," Wesley said, walking in from the basement.

"Remind me to get Hope on it when she comes down."

"Is she recovering?" Fred asked smartly.

"I hope you mean from the fight last night."

Wesley ignored the comments and sighed, "Did you tell her what I found?"

Angel nodded, "Yeah. She said thanks. And she'll be down in a bit," he looked around, "Is Kate up?" he asked.

"Oh, she went out for breakfast. Once she saw the sun come up, she wanted to hit a deli she liked," Fred explained.

"And Gunn?"

"Went for doughnuts."

Hope walked down wearing a gossamer skirt and a tight t-shirt. Fred couldn't help but smile at her behavior. Whereas Angel had tried to act nonchalant but had that small bounce, Hope was back to being the cloud she'd been before the First got to her. She walked over to the counter and sat silently.

"Good morning," Fred smiled.

"Now that there is one," Hope said, looking out at the patio garden.

"Did you sleep well?" Wesley asked.

"As good as could be expected."

Wesley tried to smile, tried to be brave for her, "Nightmares?"

"Yeah."

"You didn't tell me," Angel said, looking at her.

"You didn't need to know."

"The same variety? Or something new?" Fred asked gently.

"Some of the same. One new one. But I think it was just because of last night."

Gunn walked in with his box of doughnuts and almost smiled when he saw Hope up and sitting with the group.

"Hey, there's little miss thing."

Hope ignored him. He sighed and put doughnuts on the counter. Hope timidly opened the box and took out a jelly one. Pulling out a napkin, she started squeezing the jelly from the doughnut. They all watched her as she let the excess jelly plop onto the square. When she was satisfied, she took a bite.

"Not feeling up to jelly?"

She didn't meet the gazes of her friends, "Already had sweets this morning."

Angel coughed on the blood he was drinking. Fred smiled.

Hope took another bite. While they ate doughnuts Wesley looked to Angel.

"Any plans on where we go from here?"

Hope spoke up, "I demolish his army."

"Figured as much," Gunn sighed.

"That's the only thing we can do. The new moon isn't for two nights so we have some time to take out as much of his army as possible before it gets shipped out. If we can get the heart back, all the better."

"Shipped out?" Fred asked.

Hope nodded, "When I went through Hr-ann-ouk's book, I realized he wasn't raising this army for himself. He's raising it for the leader of the circus."

"And that would be?" Wesley prompted.

"Yeodon Shin. His original temple was in Mongolia. Right now, he's in Denver."

"Let me guess: he's the ring-leader because he's the biggest, baddest of 'em all?" Gunn assumed, taking another bite.

"In summary."

"But the guy we have to go against, right?" Fred asked downheartedly.

Hope nodded.

"So what's the plan?" Gunn asked.

Hope inhaled deeply, "I want to head back to the temple. If I can take out a good part of the vampires there, we may have a chance against Yeodon Shin."

"Alone?" Wesley asked with evident concern.

"Any power I set off will be a bomb. Angel can't come with me because of the risk of exposure to it. You guys would be spotted instantly since you're human."

"You can't cast a glamour?" Fred asked.

"Hr-ann-ouk would see right through it."

"I don't like it; you shouldn't go by yourself," Angel eyed her.

"I don't think we have much choice. If Yeodon Shin gets those vampires, Denver won't stand a chance in the dark. I have to do this."

"What if we call Lorne; we can have him come back from vacation?" Wesley thought.

"Yeah, 'cause the 'I'm-an-evil-bastard-that-wants-to-destroy-the-world' look radiates from him," Gunn quipped.

Wesley knew he was right. Besides, even if he was around, there was no guarantee he could do anything to protect Hope. She, on the other hand, was the strongest fighter they had even though she wasn't at the top of her game. If anyone could pull off what she wanted to do, it would be her.

"I know you don't like this. But I have to do it alone," she said, speaking to all but looking pointedly at Angel.

He looked up at her, his eyes deep and sincere, "I don't want to lose you," he said, unembarrassed at displaying that emotion in front of his friends.

"I think that goes for all of us," Fred said with a gentle smile.

"We don't have much choice. I should go while it's still daylight out. That should keep the majority of the vamps at the temple," she said, again looking at Angel.

"What do you plan on doing?" Wesley asked.

"Strict get in, do some damage and get out scenario."

"Hr-ann-ouk will try to kill you," Angel said.

Hope took that in stride, "I have to take that chance. But, if I don't come back within two hours, I won't be coming back. If that happens, I want you guys to head to my apartment. You'll be safe there."

"What do we do against Hr-ann-ouk?" Gunn asked.

"Nothing. If I don't make it, there's nothing you can do. Just stay inside the apartment."

Angel pushed away from the counter and walked off towards his office, unable to take anymore of the solemn conversation. Hope watched him go, her lips pressed together tightly in concern. She looked back to Fred, "Do you think you can get me a few supplies from the magick store?" she asked.

"Yeah. Of course."

Hope scribbled down a few items and handed the paper to her. She handed over some large bills to cover it all, "That should be enough."

Wesley and Gunn shared a quick glance, "We'll go with you," they said as she started to walk out.

Hope watched them go, knowing they left for her and Angel. But she knew that the supplies couldn't help her. She wanted to leave before they came back. Should something happen, it would be easier that way. If not on them, then on her. The double doors closed behind them. She saw them run into Kate Lockley right outside. She smiled inwardly upon their insistence that she go with them.

She looked over to Angel's dismal office. Walking in, she stared.

"Hey."

He looked up at her, "What are the chances?"

She sat across from him, "It's a suicide mission. Hopefully there won't be any suicide."

"Is this how you wanna deal with your pain? Fight something until it kills you?" he asked her harshly.

Her brow furrowed, "Angel…"

"What good will this accomplish? What chance do we have against the Pogroms if you don't make it?"

Hope took his hand in hers, "If I die in that temple, the power that'll be released will kill anything remotely demon—the blast will kill everything in that temple. It'll destroy the heart, too. Nothing without a soul would survive. And they can't bring on eternal night without that power center. The thirteen Pogroms need each other to do the worst they can. If I don't make it, the others won't pose much of a threat. In theory, anyway."

Angel eyed her, knowing that, in some way, she was hoping she wouldn't make it. He knew that the greater good would be best served if she did die. Maybe the greater good, but what about his friends? Him? Would they be able to live in the peace her death created knowing she'd sacrificed herself for it?

"So you're going there to die?"

She looked down a bit, "Believe me, I don't want to. But you should know that with power comes responsibility. This is mine. If I make it through this and manage to disable Hr-ann-ouk's army, maybe even Hr-ann-ouk, then the fight won't be as difficult. We might actually have a chance at winning. But, if I die there, the fight would be over."

"Good ol' catch-22," Angel mumbled.

Hope got off the seat and moved next to him, kneeling down on her haunches and looking up into his eyes, "If you tell me not to go, I won't. If you think I can't do this, I won't. But you said it: I know these demons. I've fought them before. And if there is the slightest chance that I can weaken them, then you know I have to go."

"I know you can do it. I just don't know if you'll come back."

She smiled it off, "They can't kill me."

"I didn't mean like that."

They kissed tenderly, Angel holding her supplicant face in his hands. As they parted, Hope smiled. She stood and took his hand for a moment. Then she was gone. Angel watched her walk from the office towards the basement door. He looked at the clock. He watched as the second hand made another full rotation. He sat there, eyeing that clock, and knowing his world would change, one way or another, in two hours…or less.

* * *

Hope wiped the tears from her eyes. She tried to tell herself that this was all a part of the job she had been given. These were the things she was meant for. Shining moments of undefined glory that came with the risk of death, slaughter, anything else unpleasant—most of all, leaving Angel there when she knew he might not see her again. She walked mindlessly, trying not to think about the overwhelming odds that were going to smile at her probable demise.

She soon came upon the entrance to the temple. Although the lock had been changed, it would be easy to disengage.

She looked at her hands. They were glowing a fiery white and yellow, the flames threatening to engulf her. They were also shaking. She smiled at that, knowing she'd never been this nervous before. Maybe it was because she had so much to lose this time. Or maybe it was because she had no sense of security from the Old One. He could not tell her that she would come out victorious. He could not warn her of impending danger. He could not give her that omniscient smile. She inhaled deeply, thinking of what she would give to feel trust in Him again. But she knew trust wasn't going to be restored anytime soon. It would be a long while. And, until she could deal with Him being inside her head again, she was on her own.

* * *

Fred walked into the Hyperion carrying a few bags of supplies. She looked around and saw no Hope. Angel was in his office, still brooding. She looked to Gunn and Wesley.

"Maybe she wanted to be alone?" she asked.

"He looks distressed," Wesley noted of Angel.

"Do you think they got in a fight?" Fred asked, truly terrified of the possibility.

"We didn't," Angel said, standing from his chair and walking towards them.

"Then where is she?" Fred asked.

Angel just looked at her, no words needed to convey the answer. He watched realization sweep over the faces of his friends; he noticed Kate even seemed worried.

Fred shook her head, "No. She wouldn't do that."

Angel found himself looking at the floor, unable to meet their gazes.

"She needs these," Fred said, twitching her hand that held the bags, "She needs these to help her win," she started to lose control of her voice.

"Fred…" Gunn started softly.

Fred turned on them, looking from one to the other, "No! She would not do that! She needs these to win! She can't…not without them…"

"She'll come back, Fred," Gunn tried to reassure her.

"Not without saying goodbye," she finished her trailed off sentence; the young woman dropped the bags, glass jars shattering and various items spilling onto the floor. Gunn walked over to her and, despite all that had happened between them, he held her. She covered her face in her hands and started to weep. Angel watched with mixed feelings. He knew Hope was close with everyone. It was the way she was. He just didn't think Fred…or anyone else…would cry.

It wasn't like she was dead yet. They didn't know. They couldn't know. Not for some time. But that didn't matter to Fred. All that mattered was the chance that Hope could die—that she hadn't said goodbye before leaving. For all she'd done while she was possessed, she still had the importance, the friendships, that made her so valuable.

"When did she leave?" Kate asked quietly.

"A few minutes after you went for the supplies."

"Did she say anything?" Wesley asked.

Angel just shook his head. Not that he had expected her to. He had wondered, in the back of his mind, what it would be like if she left. Now, he supposed, he had some idea.

* * *

With a fiery passion, Hope broke through the locked gateway, storming into the temple. She had mentally pictured the layout. She knew where guards would be stationed, where vampires would be waiting for darkness. Her hands threw forth immense heat and fire, streaming out towards those closest to her. Demonic guards rushed her, spears and swords ready to strike her down. She felt her entire body kick in, her natural desire to survive pushed beyond anything she'd ever felt.

This wasn't some fight to the death. This was a fight to save those she loved the most. She wasn't facing one opponent, but hundreds. And they all wanted her dead. Her mind was gone. Such happened when one was put in a position of danger. There was no room for thinking. No room for logic. Everything was pure, blood-driven instinct.

The nearest demon swiped at her with a sword. Her hands caught it and she felt it melt in her palms, the flames there were so hot. Molten metal puddled at her feet, burning her toes through her boots. She moved forward another few feet, taking on the next two guards. Each came from a side; her back bent backwards more than it was ever meant to and spared her from two otherwise fatal blows. On cue, her back erected itself and she jumped up, her feet each kicking the guards' heads back beyond their natural limits. Her ears registered a snap and her eyes saw them fall. She continued on, the blood in her boots draining out from the holes the molten metal had created.

One of her fists landed solidly in a guard; her fist came out the other side, the demon crumbling down in pain and then death. Her eyes registered that vampires were rushing at her, filling in all spaces around her. One of her hands cooled down, grabbing a quarterstaff and allowing the other hand to mold it to a spear. It was thrown, impaling several vampires. Her legs brought her through the dust they left behind.

Pain coursed through her legs as the fact that she had been burned finally reached her adrenaline-pumped mind. A moment's falter caused her to be stabbed.

* * *

"How long?" Wesley asked, trying not to ask too often. But he couldn't recall how long it'd been since he last asked. He waited for someone to answer.

"Thirty minutes," Kate said solemnly.

Off to the side, Gunn and Fred were sitting together, Fred still traumatized by Hope's lack of goodbye. Gunn just held her close to him, trying to comfort her in any way he could.

Angel was sitting in his office, staring into oblivion and waiting. For news, for a feeling, for anything. He wondered if he would know. Before the time slot was up. Would he get a gut feeling? Would the connection they had trigger in a moment of her pain? Would he know every pain she was feeling and not be able to do a damned thing about it? But, for now, their connection was quiet. Her mind and his spoke nothing to one another. It was quiet.

"She'll make it. I know she will," Gunn said softly, trying to keep up the spirit that was quickly fading as another two minutes clicked away.

Angel knew things they didn't. He knew that, coldly, if Hope died, things would be better. There would be no thirteenth Pogrom. They would retreat. He knew a part of her wanted to make things easier for him and the others. If that meant losing her, he knew she would do it.

She would do it.

* * *

_Get up! Get up! Get up!_ Hope's mind shouted at her, the pain reawakening logic and reason. She had fallen, that her mind knew. She had tumbled down four stories of stairs until there was no railing. Then she'd fallen to the temple floor below, another thirty feet. The pain in her back and side screamed, tore open primal feelings and reactions.

But she dodged the blow.

Rolling to one side, the morningstar landed harmlessly in the dirt floor, the spikes deep in the ground. With that roll, she regained her footing and her flaming fists. The vampire who had tried the move was dusted quickly, his body set on fire.

_It isn't fair_, her mind thought randomly.

With her stance, she summoned the sun she held inside, letting the flames around her tell her that it was working. Unlike yesterday, she could keep her hands together in power, the energy all the stronger. But the sun she called forth did not affect the demons that only disliked it, were not threatened by it.

They ran at her, the dust around her thick like a fleece blanket. She was thrown forward, a demon tackling her. Her flame was extinguished. Dust was thrown up into her eyes, nose and mouth. She coughed, trying to force the demon off her back. Another sharp pain came down in her shoulder. With a good yelp, she made a desperate reach for a sword a vampire had dropped. With the sword awkwardly positioned, she spun it around over her head and felt the demon's blood spill onto her back. She rolled and stood again, pulling the knife out of her shoulder.

_Nobody said it was fair._

Her mind tried to keep itself occupied with trivial things while her body fought for its very existence. The mind did not register that more pain was setting in upon the body. It chose not to. If it did, there would be no chance for either to survive. So, it thought about things that could keep the soul away from pain.

_Ring around the rosie_

Fists came at the attackers, at the attacked. Landed with pain and blood and pause.

_pocket full of posies_

Then there was Hr-ann-ouk. His fist was there, above the body. It rolled, trying to avoid the massive fist. Bones and bodies poked it, reaching new nerves that had just fallen asleep.

_ashes_

It screamed in pain as one of the legs was crushed, the roll not fast enough, not good enough. There was a sword, a good sword. It felt the pommel in a hand and tightened the fingers around it. Power ran into it, fueling it with divine energy.

_ashes_

The large fist came back, the body it came from smiling in demonic pleasure, "You tried your best. Now it ends," a voice boomed, reaching ears—alive, dead, dying ears.

"Now it does," the body spoke back.

The sword was launched, hitting the unprepared target. The body didn't cover its ears as the larger body screamed in agony, pain.

_we all fall down._

Body and mind reconnected. Hope lay there and cried, the pain overwhelming. She was a body among bodies. In front of her, Hr-ann-ouk was trying to get the sword from his gut, trying to stop the infectious heaven before it spread through him like a cancer. He managed to and the sword was thrown at Hope, barely missing her.

"This isn't over!" Hr-ann-ouk screamed, disappearing into nothingness to recover.

Hope let her head fall onto the dirt.

_Yes, it is_, she thought randomly, seeing the ceiling.

* * *

Angel felt something. Something new. Something deep and dark. As if the valve was now turned on, he could feel her mind. So much pain.

If he could've gasped, he would have. As it were, he just inhaled deeply, the pain washing over him. He braced himself, even though he was sitting, as more emotions and pain drowned out everything.

Then all the pain was gone.

There was nothing.

There was only emptiness.

"Angel?" Fred asked, seeing his reaction.

He looked at her, "Saddle up—we're going after her," he said, knowing it sounded impossible but also knowing it was what he wanted.

"What?" Fred said almost inaudibly.

Wesley eyed him, "Angel, are you sure? It hasn't been…there's still time—"

"I can feel it—she needs us. She needs me," he said, knowing it was more a lack of feeling that made him so sure.

Gunn was the first to move, "We'll take the sewers."

* * *

Hope just eyed the ceiling. It really was beautiful. Such beautiful mosaic and carpentry. For a demon, it was quite impressive. She smiled.

Then she started to laugh.

Her laugh echoed through the temple, rebounding from walls and rock formations. The dead bodies around her laughed with her, filling her ears with the reassuring, almost heavenly, sound of it.

One of her legs was bent the wrong way, the bone utterly shattered and no form inside; there was only the limp muscle and tissue. The massive blow destroyed even some of that. Both of her hands were scarred from prolonged use of the flames. Her feet were bubbled and burnt, scalding metal responsible for those wounds, her boots beyond recognition. She cursed, knowing these were a favorite pair, too. Now they were nothing but laces and a scrap here and there. Blood and ash lined her cheekbones, her jaw line, and her exposed skin. Her hair was coated with the ashes of vampires that had been burnt.

But the ceiling was beautiful.

With a harsh motion, she rolled onto her side and coughed out blood, her lungs finally filling to the point of danger. She winced as she pushed her hands against the dirt, trying to force herself up. She got to one knee, the other not even worth putting weight on. From there, she crawled, each step forward causing her to cry in pain as dirt was pushed into her burnt hands.

She collapsed once or twice in pure pain and exhaustion. At one point, she wanted to give up. Lie there and die. But she couldn't. She needed Angel to know she was alive and…doing terrible. But, she smiled, she was alive. She rolled over onto her back again, her hands and knee unwilling to take her further. Darkness called to her, made her want to sleep. Smiling as she looked at the ceiling, she let her eyes close, exhaustion more than she could take.

* * *

Angel and Gunn led the way, knowing where the doorway was. They rounded a bend, Angel's mind racing. He couldn't feel anything from her. The spark of intimacy they had when it came to their minds was gone. It was cold and dark. And he couldn't stand it.

"Whoa," Gunn muttered.

Angel and the others stopped to see what he saw. The concrete wall where the temple entrance had been was blown away, revealing the gateway. A sort of film covered it, wavering and undulating.

"This is it?" Wesley asked.

"Yeah. Looks like she blew it open," Gunn said.

"Let's go," Angel said, starting for the void.

"Angel," Wesley grabbed his shoulder, "If Hope failed, we don't stand to fare much better."

Angel shook off his hand, "It's Hope. Dead or alive, she needs us. I can't let her be alone."

Wesley seemed to understand that and shifted his grip on his axe. Kate took out her gun, ready to fight off whatever she had to.

Angel was the first to walk through the gateway, seeing for the first time what carnage there was. The others joined him, staring in awe of the immensity of the death. The stairs to the bottom had been replaced with loose sediment and rubble. He slid down, trying to keep his balance while he took in the carnage Hope had reaped.

Dust was thick on the ground, some was still smoldering. The bodies of various demons were cut open, sprawled out on the dirt. The walls were scorched by fire, some of the throne engulfed in it. The blood from the demons formed muck when it met with the dusted vampires. Some bodies moved slightly, in the throes of death. Off in the distance, screeches and chains were heard. Angel assumed that, if Hope had surprised them, Hr-ann-ouk hadn't a chance to release the hikatas she'd been worried about.

"Girl did some damage, either way," Gunn said softly.

"Spread out, look for her. Keep an eye out in case there're still demons around," Angel instructed.

They started the long walk down the stairwell, the bird's-eye view diminished as they neared the ground. Kate and Angel went one way, towards the throne. Gunn walked over towards the other stairwell, hoping to search the upper levels. Wesley and Fred walked off to the right, towards the screeches and rattling chains.

Angel eyed several of the bodies, not recognizing any of them as being from this dimension. They were mostly a mottled green, horns and spines protruding from various areas on their bodies.

"What are these things?" Kate asked, her gun still poised for action.

Angel shook his head, "I don't know. They're not from around here."

"Do you think we'll find her?"

"Yeah."

* * *

Fred walked cautiously, working her way around a broken husk of a demon. She made a disgusted face, the stench overwhelming.

"How could anyone survive this?" she asked of Wesley.

He kept a shotgun ready, "I don't know. But, if anyone could, I'll put my money on—"

"Hope!" Fred cried out, running forward and nearly tripping over dead bodies. Wesley watched her run forward. He turned around and yelled out to the others, his voice carrying in the great hall. He knelt down with Fred, eyeing their target as her bloodied and beaten body lay there, limp.

"She's breathing," Fred said urgently, looking at Wesley.

He handed her his shotgun, leaning over Hope and tilting her up onto his lap. The blood in her mouth drained onto his knees. He pat her cheeks gently, trying to get her to wake up. Pausing a moment, he looked at her wounds. Fred's face was pale, the stench of death overwhelming. He pat her cheeks again, trying to get her to open her eyes. He tilted her head back more, trying to keep her windpipe open.

Angel was the first to make it over, Kate a few seconds behind. He skidded in the dust and fell to his knees, taking her from Wesley. He called her name, wiping blood from her face. But still she remained unconscious. Fred unpacked the bottle of water she'd grabbed at the last moment, opening it. She handed it to Angel. Gunn stopped slightly behind Fred, seeing Hope in her vertigo.

"Is she—"

"No. She's just unconscious."

Angel tilted the bottle up, letting some of the cool water pass the blood. She coughed. Putting the bottle aside, he held her head for her, letting her spit out the blood that had gathered in her mouth. Her coughing fit over, she opened her eyes.

"Hey."

Angel smiled, gathering her up into his arms.

* * *

Fred and Angel sat at Hope's bedside, cutting away charred and burnt clothing from her wounds. Looking at her charred feet and pushing down the bile that wanted to come up, Fred started to cut away at Hope's boots, some of the leather melted right into the wounds. Bit by bit, the boots came off, the skin tearing in some places.

Angel removed her blouse, seeing every stab wound she'd been forced to endure. The blood had almost stopped draining onto the sheets, most of it clotted at the wound. Kate walked in, carrying a basin of water and a few rags and sponges. She eyed Angel for a moment as he gently pulled matted hair from Hope's angelic—although beaten—face. Thanks to Wesley's mystical sedative, Hope was sleeping peacefully while they worked on her wounds. Kate placed the basin on the nightstand, taking a rag and squeezing a majority of the water out. She started to gently clean out the wounds, wiping away dried and drying blood.

"I can't believe she survived it," Fred said, thinking aloud.

"I don't think she would've if we left her there much longer," Angel said.

"How did you know?" Kate asked.

"I could feel it. Whatever bond we have, it told me. I could feel everything she was feeling. I could feel her stop."

"Do you think Hr-ann-ouk is dead?" Fred asked timidly.

Angel sighed, "I hope so."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Hope opened her eyes for what felt like the first time in ages. Her body was sore and stiff, her leg made her want to cry, and her head was pounding like a heavy metal song with the bass turned up. She looked around to see where she was. By the look of the room, she had to think she was in the Hyperion. Off in the corner, she saw Angel, sitting upright and sleeping; his head was resting on his shoulder, his face still dirtied from the night before.

What energy she had she used to heal her leg, the bone reworking itself. She sat up, her bones shifting back into place. With a grimace, she leaned her weight on the backboard of the bed. Angel stirred and his eyes fell to her. He moved from his chair to sit at her beside.

"Hey, you're up."

"So are you."

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like I was run over, eaten, and drop-kicked into Hell. I'm getting there, though."

She looked over at the clock. It was noon…she assumed the next day. With a sigh, she leaned back against the backboard and waited for the strength to heal herself the rest of the way.

"I see you didn't go down without a fight."

"Hr-ann-ouk got away. He's wounded, though. While he's out of commission we should try to get the power center back. Keep anything else from getting their hands on it."

"I'll take care of that. You need to rest."

She took consolation in his affection, "No, I'll be okay. Not like I'll be fighting anything."

"Still, I'd feel better if you just took it easy."

"I'm not dead, Angel. I should be, but I' not. And this fight is far from over."

"And you're far from being well."

"Hr-ann-ouk got away. All we did was take out the army."

"So you going alone…"

"Moot central. But, at least the army is gone. That might help a bit. But we need to get that power center."

"We will," he assured her.

"I have to get something to carry it in," she reminded him.

"You can figure that out later. Right now, you should rest; concentrate on getting better."

Hope swung her legs from under the covers, putting weight on them slowly, "No. I can't take the chance something else will go after it."

Angel stood with her, "You're not going alone."

"Wouldn't expect anything less"

They walked downstairs together, Hope feeling the drain of not being completely healed. She had to rest for a moment on the stairwell. Her one leg was still dodgy and not ready for such strenuous activity such as walking. She had to smile at her own mortality—what else could she do?

* * *

Yeodon Shin was not happy. And when he was not happy, things tended to die. This being the case, his followers always had some pesky humans to throw in his path to assure they, themselves, would be spared.

A body hit the far side of the temple, shattering like a paint ball launched from a cannon. The remains trailed down the mud bricks. Yeodon Shin took some fun at the mortal's expense.

There was a flash and the large demon was left staring at a young being. He waited, unsure of what the young entity was there for.

"Honorable Shin, I see things aren't going your way," he commented dryly.

"Who are you, lower being?" Yeodon asked.

He smiled back, "An ally. Hr-ann-ouk trusted me,"

"And now he is recovering from the Young One's assault. An assault you assured him would go his way."

The entity smiled, wagging his finger, "I made no such claim."

Shin roared up, his skin turning a deep orange, "You dare correct me!" he bellowed.

The entity eyed him without concern, knowing there wasn't much Yeodon could really do to him, "I bring you news…and a new card to play."

Shin recovered, his calm returning slowly, "Go on."

"The Young One has her own arsenal. Care to know where? How to get at it?"

Shin eyed him, "What sort of arsenal?"

The entity smiled widely, "The Sword of Ganaan, for one."

Yeodon Shin's eyes lit up, knowing very well what the sword was capable of, "And you would deliver this to me?"

The entity sighed heavily, "My dear…thing…you expect too much from me. Were the Young One to know I was helping you, it would be over quickly and her rag-tag band wouldn't think twice about coming after you. That wouldn't go well for this war, now would it?" he asked knowingly.

"Then you suggest I send my minions?"

"I suggest you send the best ones you have. For now, the Young One will not reach for her famed sword. But, when she does, it would do well that it were not there. In her hands…" he trailed off.

"She would…pose a challenge. Where is it?"

The entity smiled, knowing everything was going the way he wanted.

* * *

Fred and the others looked up to see Hope coming down the stairs, Angel a pace behind her and evidently ready for her to fall backwards.

"Hope," Fred exclaimed, excited to see her up and about.

"Reporting for duty."

"You gave us all a big scare," Gunn smiled.

"Yeah. I do that sometimes."

"How are you feeling?" Wesley asked.

"Like shit," Hope summed it up, "But more needs to be done. Hr-ann-ouk is out of the game for a while, but not for long. Yeodon Shin is still our priority. We have to stay focused on him," she said, sitting at the counter.

"Hungry?" Gunn asked offhandedly.

She shook her head softly, "No, thanks."

"What can we help you with?" Fred asked.

"Right now, I need to head back to the temple. The power center is still there. I don't want to risk anything else getting their hands on it."

"If you get it, more bad guys'll just come after us," Kate said blatantly.

"I can store it in a safer place."

"Like where?" Wesley asked.

Hope rubbed the bridge of her nose, "There are a few places. But not many. It's worth a shot."

"When will you be leaving?" Gunn asked.

Hope smiled wryly, "As soon as I don't feel like I have a hangover."

"You want us to come with?"

"No. Angel and I will be fine."

Angel eyed her, somewhat surprised that she accepted him coming along. He was sure that it was just for reassurance. But he knew that she might not be telling the others everything. There could be a good chance of a fight. In that case, she would need all the help she could get.

With that, the others dispersed and went about what they could, trying to seem occupied. Angel sat next to Hope, taking her hand in his. His unspoken devotion was enough to make her smile and tear up slightly. With that, she leaned her head on his shoulder. He could feel her temples throbbing from the fight. They just sat with each other. Angel was grateful for the contact. Even though they'd been intimate, her simple presence was still more satisfying than that. When they just sat with one another, it wasn't physical. It was spiritual.

* * *

Kate eyed the two of them, unsure of what to make of it. She'd seen Angel react warmly to Hope's revival, but didn't think much of it. If anything, she assumed it was more of a brotherly love. But now, she thought it could be more. If it was, she was jealous.

The emotion came on so quick that she had no time to push it back. She was jealous of Hope. The woman had Angel in a way Kate could never dream of, let alone expect. When they'd first met, Kate remembered being attracted to Angel—he had a presence about him that she'd admired. But then her whole world changed and she couldn't look at him the same way. But now, after all this time, she found that her small flame of passion was still burning. Now, content with her situation and the knowledge Angel had given her, she could look at him like a human being. But it wasn't her place.

It was obvious to her that he and Hope were happy together. She smiled in defeat, knowing she'd waited too long to say anything. She looked back to the computer screen, unwilling to let on that she felt the way she did.

* * *

Angel led the way, Hope following a step or so behind. Although she claimed to be fine, he knew she was weak. He knew her mind was running about everything that had happened. But, she'd made it through the fight. Even if it hadn't done what she expected, it still gave them some advantage over the Pogroms. He thought about how she'd stepped up to the plate. He'd asked her to put it all aside until they finished this fight and she had. But how deep had she shoved the pain? How far under the surface was it?

He heard her falter. He turned to see her braced against the sewer wall. She shuddered, her hand on her head.

Angel braced her, "Hope?"

She shook her head clear of whatever had clouded it and looked ahead, "Something powerful…I can feel it."

"Good powerful or bad powerful?"

She eyed the gateway ahead, "Can't tell. But it's coming from the temple."

Angel followed her gaze, "Any chance of a welcoming committee?"

"I hope not."

"Only one way to find out."

* * *

Winifred Burkle carried a volume from the bookshelf in the corner to the desk where Wesley was sitting. She silently handed it to him, his hand and hers touching for a moment. She tried to ignore the awkward stare they gave each other, knowing things were still too heated for anything to come of it. She turned quickly and walked towards the computer, occupying herself with a game of some sorts.

Wesley watched her go, feeling the urge to act on his warmth towards her. But, like she, he knew nothing could come of it. Now or in the future. He wasn't sure what exactly had driven them so far apart, but he knew it was a river not easily spanned.

"Okay, explain to me again how it works?" Kate asked Gunn; the two of them had been talking since Angel and Hope left.

"The Old One—"

"A.k.a, God," Kate filled in.

"Gives Hope all that mystical knowledge she has. She uses it to help people. At this point in time, that would be us. Hope, being really old, has seen a lot happen and she doesn't want it to happen again."

"Like what?" Kate asked.

Wesley walked out from the office; "She lived through an apocalypse when she was a child. She's doing what she's doing because she doesn't wish for that to happen again."

"She was born in the future, lived in the past, and is here now. As far as she's told us, she's around five and a half million years old," Fred added in.

"And she's here to keep us alive?" Kate asked.

"More to keep anything catastrophic from happening," Wesley corrected.

"And all of her powers…"

"Come from the Old One near as we can tell," Gunn filled in her trailed-off sentence.

"And Angel and Hope are…involved?" Kate asked, trying not to sound put off.

Fred smiled warmly, evidently the topic a happy one for her, "Yeah. They've been together for a while," she allowed.

Kate forced a smile, "That's nice to hear."

Gunn smiled, "It took some getting' used to, that's fo' sure."

* * *

Hope exhaled sharply, not in the mood to deal with the welcoming committee. Angel was right beside her, taking the larger brunt of the attack to spare her the pain. Off to her left, Hope saw a few minions running off with the package. She looked to Angel quickly and then jumped as high as she could up to the next balcony. She had to regain her balance on the handrail, trying not to fall the forty feet down. One the balcony below, Angel knew what she was doing and tried to keep the minions he was fighting from following her.

Hope ran after the power center, not ready to give up yet. She tackled one of the demons, the power center skidding across of the rough floor and bouncing once or twice, coming closer to the edge of the balcony. As she kept the one pinned and tried to reach for the icon, the second one decided to leap for it and start running. Hope cursed under her breath and rolled off the first demon, bracing her weight against the wall and kicking with all her might, sending the first demon rolling off the balcony edge.

She ignored his screams and the thud that followed, breaking into a run after the other minion. It dodged behind a wall and Hope cursed as the solidity of it returned just as she tried to run through it. She fell back, rebounded from the wall. Standing and letting her body forgo the physical, she walked through the secret passage. She found the demon resting, assured he'd lost his pursuant. Hope just smiled.

He started running again and Hope picked up a vase from a shelf and threw it with harsh accuracy. It nailed the demon in the back of his neck, sending him falling forward. Hope walked up to him, sure he was dead. She leaned over cautiously for the heart and felt the demon's leg force her back. She regained her balance and harrumphed.

"Don't you guys die?" she asked him.

He only smiled. Hope waited, not knowing if she should get ready to run again or to defend herself. Quickly, the demon turned and ran, leaving the heart behind. Hope eyed him as he ran, almost smiling. She exhaled deeply, grateful that he'd been scared…or just dumb. She picked up the heart gently, wrapping it in cotton and putting it in her pocket.

The ground shook once. Hope looked around, seeing the walls crack slightly.

"Great," she sighed, running back towards the main balcony and towards Angel.

* * *

Angel watched Hope disappear behind a wall after running into it. He leaped up and grabbed onto the balcony edge above him, the dirt not giving him a good hold. He pulled himself up, the demons below heading for the stairs to cut him off. As he rolled onto the earthen balcony, a demon lunged at him. Angel rolled away, standing a second later. He grabbed at the nearest handrail that was lodged in the wall and pulled, taking it out for a weapon. The demons hissed.

"You dare dismantle our temple!" one of them hissed.

Angel shrugged, "Never been much for religion," he allowed, smacking the nearest demon in the face with the steel bar.

With that, the demons ran away towards the other end of the complex. Angel just stared at them, confused. Then the floors shook and Angel leaned against the wall as a part of the balcony fell away to the main floor below, shattering on top of the body Hope had kicked down.

The balconies started to crumble even more, the path they left becoming narrower. Angel sank the rod into the wall and held onto it as the rest of his balcony gave way.

"Angel! Climb up!" he looked up to see Hope, reaching her hand down for him. How she'd gotten a level up, he didn't know.

He forewent the rod and took her hand, grateful that he always picked strong women. She pulled him up to a small foothold and took his hand tightly in hers, "Ready?" she asked.

All he saw in front of him was wall. He mumbled in response.

He could feel her body lose solidity, his own doing the same. She yanked him through the wall, his senses driven insane. He felt his mind whirl quickly, feeling as if he'd played dizzy bat. Hope kept her hand on his, guiding him and offering some direction to his blurred vision.

Then they both fell. Angel felt all sense knocked out of him.

"Hope!"

He could hear scuffling and assumed Hope had been attacked. He stood shakily and waited for the world to stop acting like he was on a boat during a hurricane. He saw Hope fighting off two attackers that he couldn't identify. She was knocked down as he threw himself forward, trying to take at least one of them down.

"No!" Hope yelled at him.

As he came in contact with the demon, his skin felt like it was on fire. He was thrown back, able to smell smoldering clothes. He shook his head clear, the close encounter doing nothing to help his nausea.

He could make out a shape above him. From the heat the thing was emanating, he assumed it wasn't Hope. He lashed out with one foot, regretting it instantly. Then one blur lunged at the other, taking it down. Angel found he could see Hope tackling the demon, the other one incapacitated for the time being. Although blurry, he could see.

But the other demon went after him. It grabbed at his shirt and shook him violently, undoing the restoration of Angel's sight. The heat coming from the thing threatened to burn him alive. He could hear his skin start to crack and his clothes became embers where the demon was touching them.

"Give me the power center!" it yelled, the loudness of it hurting Angel's ears.

But he knew what was happening.

There was a silence as the temple continued to collapse around them. Angel found himself looking at Hope's concerned face as the blur left his eyes again. She pulled something out of her pocket and tossed it to the demon holding him. He was dropped.

Hope ran over to him and helped him up; he leaned half of his weight onto her available shoulder. More debris fell around them, Hope dodging it quickly and keeping Angel from falling. Again he felt his body lose itself and the wall in front of them was nothing more than a blur, taking away his senses again.

He felt lukewarm water around him and realized Hope had ran them right through to the sewer. He could hear her labored breathing and felt her hand on his chest.

"You okay?"

He nodded, unwilling to articulate.

"Well, so much for getting the power center back."

"Sorry."

"Not your fault. Shit happens."

They waited a moment until her heart slowed and he could stand without incident. Then they walked back towards the Hyperion; Hope had taken them out of the temple on a different side and now they were miles from the basement of the hotel. But, now that the world wasn't spinning, Angel was up for the walk.

* * *

The basement door slammed closed; the noise startled everyone in the atrium and they just watched Hope stalk past them to the basin behind the counter wall. Angel followed, evidently unwilling to be all that close to her.

"What happened?" Kate asked, coming closer to him.

He shrugged, "We lost the power center. And there was a welcoming committee," he added.

"Are you okay?" Fred asked.

Angel just nodded, his headache from the wall-jumping subsiding.

Fred looked over her shoulder at Hope and leaned closer to Angel, "Is Hope okay?"

Hope came out and landed a punch into the sheetrock, "Do I look okay?" she asked no one in particular, having heard Fred's question.

They all just stood there, unsure of how to react.

"So you lost the power center. We can deal," Gunn assured her.

"No, we won't deal. Don't joke yourself."

"Take it easy. We'll figure something out."

Hope just landed another punch to the sheetrock and, when she did, the wall seemed to undergo a shockwave effect.

"Hope, why don't you go take a shower," Angel recommended.

"Shut up, Angel!" she snapped at him.

Fred walked closer to Hope, not caring that she was a bomb, "He's just trying to help," she pointed out, her voice raised.

Hope eyed her for a moment as if she would be hit. Inhaling deeply and obviously restraining herself, Hope stalked away towards her temporary room. It was only then that Fred felt like she was going to pass out from fear. Gunn walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, trying to regain her bravado.

Angel rubbed his head, unwilling to admit that they'd lost the power center because of him. He wasn't used to that; he wasn't used to becoming a hostage or a trade. But, he knew it was his fault. Hope had pushed him down and away from the demons for a reason—that reason mostly being that they could incinerate him and render him helpless. But, he did the stupid thing and tried to attack when he couldn't really see. And they'd lost the power center for it.

But all that wasn't nearly as bad as how she'd snapped at him, at how she'd reacted. That cut deep. He just sat there for a moment, unwilling to move.

He finally stood and sighed, "I'll talk to her."

"Maybe you should slap her around a few times, too," Gunn said seriously,

Fred eyed him in shock, then look at Angel, seeing the pain on his face, "Charles…"

"She's not herself."

"Ain't that when she's dangerous?"

"She's under a lot of stress. Give her some space."

Gunn took a step towards Angel, "I don't give how stressed she is. The moment she lays a hand on my girl, I'll kill her."

"I'm not your girl."

"You try and we're going to have a problem."

Gunn cocked an eyebrow, "You threatening me?"

"Stop it. This won't help anything."

"Hope didn't do anything to Fred."

"And when she does? You just gonna stand there like a statue…a _whipped_ statue?"

"Quit it!" Kate walked in between them, keeping one hand on each chest, "Grow up—the both of you," she gave one gentle push to separate them even more.

Angel eyed her for a moment and moved away, unwilling to get into a brawl.

But Gunn wasn't that satisfied, "If you acted like that you'd be in a cage!"

Angel turned as quickly as he'd decided to stay out of it and Kate was between them again, trying to keep the peace but knowing that if Angel wanted to get around her he very well could.

"Gunn," Wesley raised his voice, willing to stay out of it until now.

"You got brain damage or something? That gal tried to kill us!"

"That wasn't her."

"I'm not seeing that much difference."

Fred slapped him.

It took a moment for him to recover. All he could do was stare at her, unsure of what had really transpired.

"Don't you see how much she's hurting? Are you blind? She is facing Hell on earth and all you can think about is picking a fight."

"Fred…I—"

"No! I'm _not_ your girl to defend, Charles! I _know_ what happened to me. I have nightmares about seeing _that face_ and I still know it wasn't Hope. She's doing the best that she can. You need to _back off_!"

All was quiet for a moment. Then Fred turned and walked away up to a random room. She slammed the door and was gone, in her own little cave again.

Angel and Gunn just shared a glance, neither of them pleased with what had transpired. Angel turned and walked up towards Hope's room, still wanting to talk to her.

Gunn just sat, shocked at what Fred had said to him. Yes, she was right, but it still hurt. Out of the corner of his eye, he knew Wesley was eyeing him sympathetically. Even if the argument had been in private, Gunn still would've felt like the lowest scum on the earth.

* * *

Angel walked into Hope's room. He saw her there, just standing and looking at nothing. He closed the door loudly on purpose, trying to keep her aware of his entrance. She turned to look at him.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry we lost the power center. I know you're mad at me."

She sighed, "I'm not mad at you," she said offhandedly, turning to look out the window; the curtains were flapping gently in the breeze.

He sat on the bed, away from the little flecks of light that came through, "You don't have to lie to me."

She sat down tiredly, her back against the bed, "I'm not."

"Then what's wrong—besides the power center?"

He could see her shake her head, "Everything is spiraling into Hell and I can't stop it."

"Yes. You can."

She scoffed, "_Why_ are you standing up for me? _Why_ do you keep believing in me after everything that happened?"

Angel remained silent for a moment, trying to think of how to word what he felt, "Because I know what you can do."

She chuckled in aggravation, "It isn't enough. It won't save mankind."

"Maybe. But it's all I can give you."

Hope sighed heavily, "I wish the Old One was here."

"Why?"

"When He's in my head, I know everything. I can feel everything before it happens…stay three steps ahead of the enemy. Now…my mind is quiet. I'm the only one in it. Billions of voices and emotions aren't there."

"That's a bad thing for you? To have that solitude?"

She sighed, "A part of me loves the quiet. The rest of me wants His assurance, His gifts, so I can fight the evil that comes after me. I feel so lost."

Angel slid across the bed and down next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. As she started to sob openly, he let her head lean on his chest, grateful that she was opening up to him. He kissed her forehead once, trying to offer her what he could.

"Things will go back to normal. Until they do, you know I'll be here for you," he offered.

With that, her control was lost and she started to cry heavily, holding onto his shirt and him for comfort. He ran his hand across her back, trying to soothe her.

* * *

The demons ran as fast as they could, entering the portal before it closed. As they each shot through, they found themselves landing on soft turf. Although they didn't need the air to breath, they rose to the surface of the cold water and climbed onto the riverbank. From there, they walked through the underground caverns that lead to Yeodon Shin's temple.

As they entered, the entity that had sent them there smiled, pleased at what they'd accomplished.

"You see? I can keep my end of the bargain," the entity smiled, taking the power center from the demon that held it.

Shin thought for a moment, "Very well. What are your terms?"

The entity stood straighter, "Simple. I want the soulful vampire killed. I don't care what you do to the Young One or her companions. I want Angel destroyed when the time comes."

Shin smiled, "He is a hard one to kill. The Young One will be protecting him. Such fire, she has—to protect that which she kills."

The entity smiled, "They will come to you. Now that she knows you have the power center, they will all come to you. That should make the task easier, now, shouldn't it?"

"And the Sword of Ganaan?"

"I have every intention of having it delivered to you. But, until it arrives, the power center should be enough to reign in the apocalypse. Agreed?"

Shin nodded heavily, "Agreed."

The entity handed over the power center and sighed, grateful to be free of its burden, "The Young One will bring you the sword. It has been arranged."

"And her powers?" Yeodon asked skeptically.

"They will reside in the sword; do not worry. All is going our way."

Shin seemed pleased, "I should hope so."

With that, the entity left quickly, unwilling to stare at the gruesome face of Shin. He found his footing on a balcony overlooking the city of Denver. On the balcony was his master.

"Back so soon, Eric? You gave Yeodon the power center?" the higher being asked.

Eric nodded, "Of course. He was pleased with it," he added.

The other entity just nodded, keeping his gaze set on the landscape. He smiled in wicked anticipation, "Soon, Hope. Soon everything you love will be gone. Starting with Angel."

* * *

Winifred Burkle gently knocked on the door she knew Hope was behind. Angel had been with the goddess for an hour or so and after that he'd come to talk to her; he was still worried about her. She'd assured him that she was fine but now she wasn't so sure.

"Come in," Hope said calmly.

Fred walked in to see Hope sitting Indian-style with the Fedoins in front of her. The young goddess looked over her shoulder, "Fred, come on in."

"You seem better."

"Angel has a way of talking me out of my bad moods."

"For which I'm grateful."

"I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. I didn't mean to."

Fred shrugged it off, "It was nothing, really."

"You don't have to lie to protect my feelings."

Fred smiled wanly, "I think you gave Gunn a bigger scare than me."

Hope nodded, "I heard the argument. I also heard you stand up for me."

"Charles was being…difficult."

"It means a lot to me—what you did."

"That's what friends do."

Hope turned her attention back to the Fedoins.

"What are you doing with them?" Fred asked.

"I was hoping to recalibrate them so they ward off soulless creatures. They might come in handy during the big fight."

Fred nodded as if she understood completely. To her, they were just stones that absorbed light. They had no meaning. But, to Hope, they carried energy and a chance to save the ones closest to her. Fred had accepted that she would never understand everything Hope did or why she did it. But, she had also accepted that Hope knew how to win her battles; she'd been fighting them for over five million years.

"Are you and Charles going to be okay?" Hope asked quietly.

Fred shrugged, "I don't know. Since we moved on…it's been hard on both of us. He still thinks he has to protect me."

Hope smiled nostalgically, "That's how all men are—ex-lover or not. The men down there would risk life and limb to protect you. I know Angel would do the same for me. To them, if they fail at that, they have nothing really to live for. Be grateful that Charles still cares enough about you to be willing to take on me…or Angel, for that matter."

"I just wish he wasn't so aggressive about it. If he were to fight Angel, I don't know what I'd do."

"Torn between the men you care about," Hope nodded in understanding. At Fred's bashful look, she smiled, "I know you care for Angel. I know he cares for you. It doesn't bother me; he was the one who really saved you from Pylea. Whereas I see him as a champion, you see him as more than that. He feels as though he's still your knight in shining armor."

"But he loves you. I see the way he stares at you when you're reading; the way he acts after you've kissed. Especially after you've—" Fred cut herself off, her cheeks becoming rosy.

Hope smiled, "After we've had sex—you can say it."

"He's always so happy. You make him so happy."

"But he would always choose you."

"What?"

"If it came down to my life or yours, he would choose yours."

"You can't know that," Fred started, trying not to seem too happy or too upset. At Hope's expectant and cock-eyed look, Fred's brow furrowed, "Or maybe you can," she allowed, knowing Hope knew more about Angel than anyone else did, "But it would never happen. You're so powerful and he's really fast and strong. It would never come down to that."

Hope nodded, grateful for the reassurance, "Yeah. You're right."

Fred tried to forget the topic and smiled while looking at the Fedoins, "Anything I can help you with?" she asked.

Hope sighed, "Not really. I'm just glad to have someone to talk to," she admitted.

"Talk, talk, talk. Don't you do anything else?" a gentle voice asked teasingly.

Fred and Hope looked over their shoulders to see Michael casually standing with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

Hope just stared at him for a moment, "Michael?" she asked finally.

"Happy to see me?" he asked, waiting for something more than his name.

She smiled wanly, "You could say that," she unfolded her legs and stood shakily, embracing him warmly.

Fred stood as well, smiling at Hope's moderate affection. As Hope backed away slightly, Fred smiled even more and let Michael embrace her.

"What brings you here?"

He shrugged, "What always does?"

" Tell me about it."

"How are you dealing?"

Hope was evidently unsettled, "I'd rather not talk about it. Why don't we go downstairs?" she asked quickly, moving to the door and leading the way down the stairs.

The others looked up and saw Michael trailing Hope and Fred. Angel quickly crossed his arms. He walked out from behind the counter eyeing him.

"Michael."

"Angel."

"You dropped in."

"Popped, actually."

"Why are you here?"

Hope eyed him, "Angel…"

Michael shrugged, "Came to help."

"Don't need it."

Michael looked between Hope and Angel, knowing there was more tension than just he had created. Hope placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We appreciate it," she said honestly, looking momentarily at Angel.

Hope, Fred and Michael walked closer to the counter where everyone else was. Hope sat on a barstool, feeling Angel's distrust.

"What's the game plan?" Michael asked.

Hope sighed, "When's the new moon?" she asked, looking at Wesley.

"Tomorrow night."

"Then we should get going. Denver is the best place to go."

"Why there?" Fred asked.

"Shin. I still think if we take him out, the others will shy away…maybe leave all together. That's what we want."

"Any idea of how we can defeat Shin?" Angel asked.

Hope shrugged, "Best thought? Get some old and powerful weapons."

Michael eyed her, "The Sword?"

Hope nodded.

"What's that?" Angel asked tiredly.

"Sword of Ganaan. Ancient relic—very powerful and the best chance we have at even slowing Shin down. The sword captures pure energy and can send it into the enemy. Pure innocence defeats pure evil," Hope explained.

"Makes enough sense," Wesley allowed.

"Where's the sword?" Fred asked.

"In the higher Rockies. Past the Canadian border."

"I can get the sword and meet you in Denver," Michael volunteered.

Hope sighed, "No. I need to get it. I want you to take the others to Denver."

"We don't need an escort," Angel reminded her quickly.

"We need all the help we can get," she reminded him, "I want Michael in Denver to help with the vampire population."

"Is there anything we can do?" Kate asked simply.

"All around. I want you to call your chief and tell him you're bringing reinforcements. Tell him my name. That'll give all of you some influence. I want only officers that know about the real threat to be on shift. Tell him to send the others home," Hope finished quickly.

"When are we leaving?" Fred asked.

"Tonight. I'll head off to the Rockies and the rest of you will go to Denver."

"I don't like you going alone," Angel spoke up.

Hope didn't meet his gaze, "I'll be fine. I need you guys in Denver to keep the fatalities down."

Michael put a hand on Hope's shoulder and sighed, "What do you need me to do?" he asked simply.

Angel eyed him, his mistrust boiling over and the fact that he hand his hand on Hope doing nothing to satiate it. Hope, on the other hand, seemed somewhat comforted by his touch.

"When you get to Denver, keep an eye on everyone. Make sure Shin doesn't come after them."

"You think he will?" Gunn asked.

"Hopefully not. He may not even know we're in the city. But, if he does, I want you to protect them," she added, looking pointedly at Michael.

He nodded, "I will."

With that, Hope turned and walked away back towards the staircase. She seemed fatigued and forlorn, her feet all but cooperating with her as she trudged up the stairs. Angel, feeling her sadness and tiredness, followed.

Michael eyed him, feeling the same emotions he did.

* * *

2025, Sunnydale, California

Karina trudged through the old wine cellar looking meticulously at the floor for any trap door. Michael sighed, coming up behind her.

"We'll find it," he assured her.

She sighed in exasperation; "We've been looking in this damned wine cellar for two days!"

"It was hidden," he defended himself.

"From what? We can't even sense it! How do you know it's here?"

"I told someone to hide it here."

"They didn't tell you where they hid it?"

He smiled suddenly and kicked at a loose floorboard, "Got it," he looked to her.

"Finally."

They both descended into the cold darkness of the dug-in basement. Karina materialized a torch and waved it around to see what there was. She followed Michael as he walked into the corner and pointed at some rock face.

"Behind here," he sighed.

"Hold this."

She handed him the torch and threw a sphere of energy into the face of the rock. It exploded around them. They were thrown backwards slightly and landed on their rumps. They coughed as the torch went out. Michael sighed.

"Nice going."

She smacked him.

"Ow."

She put the torch back on and looked towards the rock face, "That it?" she asked.

Michael nodded. Karina got up and walked over to it, pulling it from the rock, "What is it? A scythe?" she asked.

The metal handle had a curved red and silver blade at one end, a wooden stake in the other with a basket-like pommel before the wood started. Behind the blade was a gripped handle. Karina felt it in her hands, felt the energy it exuded.

Michael nodded and took it from her, shoving aside debris from her explosion. He unloaded his satchel and quickly put up four corners and four candles around the scythe. He put the scythe in the middle of his magickal circle. Karina looked at it unsurely.

"Are you sure this is the best thing to do?" she asked of him, "We'll just be giving him more targets."

Michael sighed, "If we activate all the Slayers, the world will be safer. They'll help fight the armies."

"We don't have the right."

"If we don't, then who does?" he asked harshly.

"So many of these girls have no idea what a demon is, let alone what her true calling means. It won't just activate the ones who are ready. It will activate all of them! We will be sending these girls to their deaths!" she argued.

"This is a war, Karina. We need to do this."

"This is our war! Not theirs! We need to fight these armies."

"Alone? Is that what you're saying?"

"Michael, the world is crashing down around them. Don't make them be responsible for stopping it."

He inhaled deeply and eyed the ready-to-go scythe. He picked it up from the circle and kicked the supplies to dismantle the power residing there. Karina sighed in relief.

"We can still use it to kill the soldiers."

"Thank you," she sighed, taking the scythe from him and strapping it onto his back, "We should get going. We need to find the new Slayer before Angelus does."

Michael sighed, "It's pointless. He's just going to keep coming after them. He turned Lauren into one like him. Spike and Drusilla are with him. Between the four of them, they'll just keep coming."

"There has to be something we can do to take out all of them," Karina sighed.

"I don't know of anything."

Karina's eyes lit up, "Then why can't we get rid of Spike and Dru?" she asked.

* * *

Hope sat on Angel's bed and sipped at a new cup of tea. She needed to be alone after the bombardment of her mind by those around her. Angel, Michael and the others were all sending out wave after wave of pain and agony, hope and despair. She had to get away from them all. But one mind had followed her.

"Hope?" Angel asked.

She just sipped at her tea as Angel opened the French doors to the bedroom. He eyed her for a moment and then sat next to her, silent and unsure of how to start any conversation.

"I don't trust him," he said finally.

She just remained silent.

"Why would he show up now after everything else? It doesn't sit well."

"No matter his timing, he never sits well with you."

"Yes, I agree we need his help but I don't like the idea of him actually being here to give it. There are other ways he could help," he trailed off, not really sure where to go with that one.

"It's over between us. You know that."

"I don't think he does."

Hope looked at him tiredly, "Then I need you to trust that I do," she said, waiting for any denial on his part.

To his credit, his mind didn't waver in his need of her. The trust always wavered but Hope had become accustomed to that. She couldn't blame him or anyone else. But he still wanted her. He needed her beyond a doubt in both their minds.

He eyed her, leaned over the space between them, and kissed her. She smiled and then put her cup down, wrapping her arms around his neck lovingly. One of his hands cupped her face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb.

"You know I do," he said finally.

They kissed again and he pushed her backwards slightly, down onto the satin sheets and down comforter. He leaned over her, his hands bracing his weight. For a moment, they just stared at one another, savoring the moment. Then he leaned closer and ran his lips across her neck, his control of the demon inside of him tested beyond anything he'd ever felt. Hope nibbled at his earlobe, teasing him silently, her breathing labored from his touch.

"Angel…" she rasped.

He pulled his mouth from her neck to eye her.

"I love you," she said hoarsely.

He only smiled and locked lips with her, his face and hers turning over in the ecstasy of their passion. Their yellow eyes glinted in the lamplight on the nightstand and Angel could feel Hope's power roll into him like a wave, knocking his mind aside and letting her love lead the way.

Off to the side, out of view, Michael watched with barely controlled rage and disgust. To see Hope take on that face to please Angel, to arouse him to greater heights, was disturbing. Turning silently, he walked out of Angel's room and back towards the others, knowing they would be suspicious if he was gone for too long.

* * *

Hope eyed the rugged all-terrain motorbike she was planning to ride. It would be quicker and easier for her to do so. Behind her, Gunn and Wesley were loading supplies into her SUV, getting ready for the trip to Denver. Angel was still inside, waiting for the sun to set completely before lending a helping hand. Hope just watched the giant orb sink beneath the cityscape. It was depressing. She knew it would rise only once before the final battle. Shin had the power center and could do anything he wanted come the new moon.

Michael walked out next to her and sighed, "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Depressing."

"Perhaps. But the sun will rise tomorrow."

"But not the morning after that."

"We'll win this one, Hope. You should know that."

She gave him a doubtful glance.

He winced, "Yeah. Forgot about that."

"Can you feel Him? In there? In your mind?"

Michael sighed, "Can't say I ever could. You were His progeny. He chose to be inside your head…not mine."

"Thanks for making me feel better."

He bit his lower lip, "Didn't mean it like that. I just meant that He trusts you. Even if you don't trust Him. Things will work out."

Hope scoffed as the sun finally set, "I can't say I believe you," she said, walking in to be with Angel before they parted ways for the time being.

Michael watched her go, then picked up his package and carried it to the SUV. At the vehicle, Kate eyed him. He caught her gaze and was surprised that she didn't turn to look away in shame; she sipped at her water bottle.

"Something interesting?" he asked.

"Are you like her?" she asked blatantly.

He smiled, "Not as powerful. But close."

"So, if something goes down without Hope there, you can stop it?"

Michael eyed her, "I could delay it. No one can stop it."

"Even Hope?"

He sighed, "Even Hope."

With that, he walked away. Kate watched him go, grateful for his honesty. She took another sip of water and pushed the package farther into the back of the SUV. Gunn came around from the side and helped her.

"Don't think Hope will come through?" he asked seriously.

She eyed him, "I like to have my options open."

* * *

Angel sat next to Hope. He couldn't bring himself to touch her, hold her, because he knew she would be gone too quick. So they just sat there, her and him both staring at some tiles on the floor. She was silent. As usual, she was nothing more than wall.

"I wish you'd let me go with you."

"You can't. I need you in Denver."

"Michael's there. I need to be with you."

"Please don't make this harder."

"For you or for me?" he asked.

"For me. The last time I went off on my own, I almost died."

"And this time?"

"Little to no chance of past becoming prologue."

"Good."

They kissed and then she stood from the couch, unwilling to spend more time than she had to saying goodbye to him. She picked up her full-face helmet and snapped it over her head, putting the visor up. Angel smiled at her longingly, handing her the satellite phone.

"Call me when you get there?" he asked.

She shoved the phone into her knapsack, "You know it. Same with you."

She walked out, letting Angel carry her knapsack. She mounted the motorbike and revved it up. She slipped on the knapsack and slapped down the visor on her helmet. Angel stepped back, eyeing her in all her beauty. In full black leather with matching boots and the black helmet, he found himself quickly turned on. Spinning the back wheel, she tore out of the courtyard and onto the street, cutting off several cars and a police cruiser. True to her style, no one gave her a second glance. Angel could hear her bike roar off into nothingness. He turned to look at the others.

"Our turn," he said, tossing Kate the keys.

"I think that's everything," Fred said, closing the back hatch.

They all loaded into the SUV, Angel still wishing he could go with Hope. He loaded himself into the very back, sitting next to Fred. Wesley and Gunn were in the second row and Michael was sitting up by Kate. She turned to look at Michael.

"Any chance of popping me on a light and siren?" she asked of him.

He closed his eyes for a second and the two requests materialized with the switches to control them. Kate switched them both on and tore out of the parking spot, grateful that Michael had been able to give her the speed she wanted.

"Are you gonna leave that thing on all trip?" Gunn asked.

Kate almost smiled, "Just for a few minutes."

* * *

Hope wove in and out of the late rush-hour traffic. Although everyone else was confined to the gridlock, she wasn't. She rode between cars and trucks, zipping past the occasional patrol car. In her limited vision, she saw out of the corner of her eye another motorcycle coming up behind her quick in the mirror. She looked at her speedometer and cocked and eyebrow at her triple digit speed. The cycle behind her was going faster, becoming bigger in the side view mirror. She twisted her head back once to see what she was dealing with. She cursed as she saw the hands on the grips. They had claws. As she twisted her wrist to gain more speed, another bike pulled up beside her in the next mini-lane.

She brought her bike up to its maximum speed and then some, the needle passing the last number on the semi-circle. Still the other bikes seemed to catch up. The biker next to her pulled out a handgun and she cursed again, fogging up her visor for a moment.

She ducked as the first bullet whirred at her; using her mind, she stopped it from hitting the passenger car behind her head.

* * *

Angel tensed and looked to Michael in the front seat. Michael turned and caught Angel's stare.

"Do you feel that?" he asked.

Angel just remained silent.

* * *

She felt one bullet strike in her mid back from the biker behind her. Taking both hands off her steering grips, she reached behind her and into the large hiking knapsack; it had several easy-to-reach compartments and she pulled guns from them. She just hoped her magazines in the handguns were larger than her attackers'. She aimed one gun off to her side and the other over her shoulder. She didn't wait to aim, just shot. The biker beside her faltered and lost speed quickly, trailing far behind. The biker behind her was still there, swerving to avoid being hit. Hope tried once more with both her hands over her shoulders. Again, she had no luck. She placed one gun between her thigh and the body of the bike and held on to the other one tightly, switching the bike into neutral at the same time doing a wheelie. She spun around a hundred and eighty degrees and fired as soon as she saw the biker, not wanting a head on collision.

He quickly dropped the bike, his clothes torn to pieces on the asphalt. He lost all control and he and the bike went spinning different ways. Hope fired one more shot at the gas tank and the bike exploded, the demon caught in the blaze. She turned around again and put the bike back into gear, taking off. As she rode, she could feel the bullet in her back dig deeper, blood spilling from the wound and seeping under her clothes.

* * *

Fred looked to Angel, "What's wrong?" she asked.

Angel shook his head slightly, "Something with Hope."

"I think she was being attacked," Michael added.

"She's in pain," Angel continued, reaching around to his back and feeling where her pain was, "She was shot."

"But she's okay?" Gunn asked.

Michael nodded, "She'll be fine."


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Hope pulled off to the truck stop and dismounted, wrapping her arm inside her helmet to carry it. Her back was stiff and burning, the bullet still inside. She was just grateful that she'd been able to stop the demons coming after her. She walked tenderly over to the bathrooms and shut herself inside a stall, taking off her jacket and her top. She dug her fingers into the wound and pulled out the bullet, wincing with clenched teeth. She brought her hand back around to her front side to get a good look at it, then threw it in the feminine receptacle. She concentrated on the area and she could feel the skin sealing up, muscle and tendon reworking themselves.

She eyed her top and her jacket and they were clean to her satisfaction. Without another thought as to why or how the demons found her, she pulled on the clothes and walked back out towards her bike, ready to get back on the road.

* * *

2049, The Vatican City, Rome, Italy

Running along halls of stone and marble from centuries past, Karina put out her hand to stop Michael from continuing on. Ahead, she could see the first trail of übervamps as they patrolled the hostile corridors. Being what her mission was and having the connections she did, the defilement of a holy place such as the Vatican just innately pissed her off. The church had been stripped of its religious symbols for the comfort of Angelus and his lackeys. But still, the walls spoke to her, told her secrets no one could ever believe. When the Vatican had been corrupted, taken over by the demon world, she knew just how hard it would be to recapture the country and its capital.

Closing her eyes and listening to the centuries of stories for a moment, she smiled, seeing so much in her mind. Using her power to her advantage, she could see through the walls and tell where all the patrolling units were and would be. She could see the blueprint in her mind.

She took her hand from the wall and continued on, Michael following her. Looking at one of the great double doors to the church, she inhaled deeply, knowing that Angelus was inside. Defiled as it was, it was now his throne room. His vacation home, as it were. But he wasn't the target. They continued on and Karina opened the doors to the vast storage room. Closing the doors behind her and Michael, she walked through the dank room. Blood scattered the floor, making the stone slippery. At the end of the room was the cage. Several of the humans eyed her unsurely. Taking the bag of hypodermic needles from Michael's knapsack, she blew apart the lock on the cage and opened the iron door. As humans walked out, she pressed a syringe to their arm. Although confused, they remained silent. Michael looked through the crack in the doors to see the two vampires coming for their meal.

"They're coming."

As the last one was given the contents of the needles, Karina ran back towards Michael and blasted the doors. On the other side, Spike and Drusilla covered their faces from the blast. Karina looked to the captives.

"Run!" she said calmly.

Caught up in her display of power, they ran. As expected, Spike tossed a few of his meals aside, taking one or two and feeding from them quickly. Drusilla did the same. Out of the group of thirty or so, only five dropped dead right there. Although the others were caught further down the hall, that wasn't Karina's concern. She loaded her crossbow and fired. One bolt landed firmly in Spike's thigh. Drusilla turned and hissed, the other bolt sailing past her as she moved. Karina sighed and took out the knife, knowing that Drusilla would need to be infected for the poison to work. As the humans down the hall were corralled back up and readied to be put back in cages, Karina walked from the storage room with both hands holding weapons.

Spike took the bolt from his leg and threw it aside, smiling at her.

"Well, well, well. Lookie lookie what I found. A nice little snack, Dru. You come to kill us, luv?" he patronized her.

Without a word, she threw the dagger. It landed in Drusilla's gut. She whimpered, her face turned vamp and she growled.

Satisfied with that, Karina smiled.

"Hey!" Spike lunged at her.

He passed right through her and came face to face with Michael. Confused for the second he was, Michael lodged a dagger into Spike's gut as well. Karina moved back and ran with Michael. Down the corridors, she saw the large double doors open. She skidded to a stop.

Angelus stepped out.

Karina felt her rage and hate gurgle to the surface. Michael had his back to hers, watching Spike and Drusilla come closer.

"Karina?"

But she wasn't listening. Angelus's face went vamp and she smiled. Throwing herself at the vampire, she nailed him fast enough. He rolled onto the marble floor. While she got to her own feet, he was getting to his. He landed a punch to her cheek and she turned with it, backhanding him as she came around. She didn't care that Michael was left to take both Dru and Spike. She wanted blood. His or hers, she wanted it. In the twenty years since her world had vanished, she'd never had a chance to fight him. The First had always whisked him away to another massacre before she ever threw a punch.

She kicked him and he fell to his back. Sitting on his torso, she straddled him and landed punch after punch to his face. Blood got on her knuckles. Some of it spattered up to her face. She ignored it.

He finally grabbed her fighting wrist.

"That's enough!" he spat out, throwing her over his head.

She somersaulted with his throw and got to her feet, ready to face him. She didn't give him a moment. She ran at him and tackled him, bringing him to the ground again. He landed a knee to her side and she was forced off him. He stood as she did. They eyed each other for a moment.

"I'd though you'd be more like mom. She went down easy. Just gave up after I snapped that Prio's neck. He put up a fight. And that stupid dog…what was the name?"

Karina held onto her wounded side, knowing he'd broken a rib or two with the hit. She stayed quiet.

"Sophie, right? But your mom, she gave in so completely when I repeated on her. She moaned like the whore she was. Should've known anyone gave birth to you would have a weak spot for vamps. And she cried when I drove the nail—"

Karina kicked.

It landed in his throat. He doubled over, holding onto his broken windpipe.

"Karina!"

She turned to see Michael struggling. Turning from Angelus, she ran to his aide. Kicking Spike away, she paused as Michael threw Drusilla and she landed.

She felt teeth sink into her neck. She yelped, feeling the point of them dig deep into her jugular. Michael turned and threw a fast punch. Angelus reeled backwards, his grip on Karina lost. She grabbed at her bleeding neck and then at Michael. They were gone in an instant.

Outside the main gate and in daylight, Karina reestablished her hold on solid ground. She held onto her wound, looking to Michael, "You think that'll work?"

He clamped his hand over her wound, tearing off a bit of his shirt to staunch the bleeding, "All the tests say it will. As long as they keep those humans for a while. The blood has the catalyst. That's all it'll take."

Karina nodded, knowing Angelus would be somewhat crippled without his right arm lackeys. Stumbling away from the main gate, she paused and looked once more at the holy city. Still wishing she'd been able to do more for the sanctity that had been lost, she turned and let Michael guide her away.

* * *

Kate walked back to the SUV carrying a key. They'd traveled until the gray of dawn came near. She tossed the key to Angel and he walked briskly towards the door, grateful he hadn't had to remind her to get a room for the day. She and the others stayed by the SUV, unpacking their clothes and a few modern weapons for the stay.

"How many rooms did you get?" Gunn asked.

"They only had one."

They all stared at her.

She shrugged, "So what? We'll all get cozy," she said seriously, taking in the duffel bag she'd grabbed.

When she got inside, Angel was already undressing, his shirt off and his back to the door. Kate made sure all the blinds were closed, wishing they'd given her a room without windows. Angel turned quickly to see her and quickly reached for his undershirt.

"Don't worry about it," she said, tossing her bag on the bed closest to the door, "Will this room be safe enough for you?"

He nodded, "As long as there's no direct exposure."

Fred, Gunn, Wesley and Michael walked in, carrying the last of the bags as the sky outside became lighter. Angel stepped back deeper into the room instinctually. Gunn shook his head in spite of the situation.

"Only two beds?"

"I told you it was all they had," Kate repeated herself.

"I can sleep on the recliner," Angel offered.

Kate eyed him, "I'm taking the recliner."

Angel put his hands up in a surrender position, letting her have it. The other five eyed the two beds, looked at each other, then waited for any comfortable ideas to come to mind.

Fred rolled her eyes, "Oh, please. We're all adults. We can sleep in the same beds."

"What did you have in mind?" Wesley asked.

"I'll sleep with Michael and you three can sleep together in the larger bed," she said innocently.

"The three of us in one bed?" Angel eyed her.

She shrugged, "It's just until tonight."

"I suppose I'll change in the bathroom," Wesley said, grabbing his bag of clothes.

"I call seconds," Kate said, pulling out extra blankets for her recliner.

* * *

Hope watched the sun rise ahead of her, the light searing the land, touching all it could. She smiled beneath her helmet, grateful to see it. As of now, there was no one on the road and she was cruising at the edge of the speedometer. She liked the freedom the road could give her. She only wished Angel could be with her. She could feel her lids start to droop in exhaustion. The next exit was in a mile. She turned off, looking for a little hotel she could claim for the day. There were a few, all of them questionable.

She pulled into one and walked in, her helmet on her elbow. The concierge eyed her for a moment.

"I need a room," she said simply.

He looked at his console beneath the counter and then up at her, "We have several available. All of them are suites, however," he added.

Hope knew he was lying to get the extra money, but she didn't care, "I'll take one."

He smiled in accomplishment. Hope waited tiredly and just wanted to collapse in a bed. He finally handed her the key and she handed him over her cash.

"Do you need someone to carry your bags for you?" he offered.

She looked over her shoulder at the backpack and shook her head, "I think I can manage."

She walked off towards the elevators.

* * *

Angel sat at the small table. The others had gone to bed, leaving him awake and unable to sleep. As accustomed as he was to being up during the day, it didn't feel like day. The bright shadows from the subdued sun created shafts along the floor. They wouldn't reach him. He would be safe. At least for now. Whatever came their way was what worried him. Hope had fought the demons before, so she had some idea. But she wasn't sharing much. They had no idea how she'd fought them back last time, how she'd won.

He heard a pair of shuffling feet. Kate walked over and sat across from him. She tried to smile, "Can't sleep?"

"Thinking."

"About the demons?"

He nodded.

"I'm sure your goddess can handle them."

"I'm not worried about that. I'm just worried it might hurt her more."

Kate's brow furrowed, "How so?"

"She's been through a lot. More than her share. She came down here to help us, but now it's…it feels like we're a burden to her."

"Is that what she's feeling or what you're feeling?"

He shook his head, "I don't know. Which, considering who she is, isn't anything new. There's a lot we don't know about her."

"She seems like the girl for the job."

"She is. But she knows this job will kill her. It has already. The incident with the First was a close call. I think it just drove home the fact that this mission will kill her."

"I'm sure she knew that."

"Probably. But going over five million years without being hurt, or beaten, being suddenly vulnerable may be something she can't deal with right now."

"So she blows holes in walls?"

"So it seems."

"Is she safe to be around?"

"She would never hurt any of us. We're her only shot at having peace."

"Five and a half million years of fighting a war? I don't think I'd care about peace. I think I'd just want it over."

He stared at her.

* * *

2106, Burundi, Africa

Karina walked into the hell-driven cave and felt her adrenaline start to pump. She could feel the proximity of her target and the prisoner he held. She looked to Michael. He kept a tight hold on the mystical scythe and reached for a stake placed in his boot, offering it to her. She shook her head and continued to walk.

_I'm not fighting them. I'm fighting It_.

He eyed her, _Are you up for that?_

_I have to be. Angelus has the last Slayer. I can't let her die._

_The First won't be easy._

_Neither will Angelus,_ she said pointedly, looking back at Michael for a moment.

_I won't let you down._

She smiled at that and rounded a bend to see the cavern she'd seen in her vision. It was large, painted with tribal and primitive symbols. Some bats hung to the ceiling and their guano lent a smell all its own. There was a fire burning in the middle of the cavern. The Slayer, strung out on the rock face, had already been badly beaten. Her Watcher lay at her feet, blood trailing from his mouth and his eyes open in death.

"Hey!"

The First, It's Bringers and Angelus faced Karina and Michael.

"Back off my Slayer."

The Bringers charged while Angelus and the First hung back, smiling. Karina didn't know who the First had taken the shape of, but It changed quickly, showing Karina her own precious Kamal. The Bringers came closer and Karina let her hands start to glow with righteous fire. Taking a swipe at the first two that tried to corner her, their faces became charred and they whimpered away, holding onto their bloody faces. Michael swung the scythe and dislodged several heads at once. The small army was cut down quickly and Karina and Michael were left facing the First and Angelus.

"Impressive…actually not. You really think you can take me, little girl?"

"Not you. I think Michael has a grudge to settle. Sorry, no such luck."

Angelus looked to Michael with a demonic grin, "Still upset about me impaling you?"

"What can I say? I'm petty."

"You came for the Slayer. The last Slayer. How noble," It smiled.

"Yeah. Kicking your ass is just a perk of the job!" she said, landing a punch to the First's face.

It recoiled and blocked her next blow. Angelus faced Michael, smiling. The vampire snarled, him and Michael circling. Michael was the first to lunge and he missed narrowly. Angelus sidestepped and hit Michael hard on his back.

"You're way out of your league, boy. Following around a wannabe god, trying to keep up…you're nothing compared to her."

Michael ignored him and only lunged again, not bothering to take a glance at Karina. He knew she would handle herself. Facing off with the vampire, Michael took a swipe at his head, hoping to lob it off. Angelus ducked swiftly and grabbed Michael's wrist. He threw Michael and he hit an outcrop. He dropped his scythe and lay on the ground, his ribs smashed and flesh torn.

Falling back from a hit, Karina landed against the cave wall and felt the jagged edges of it break her calloused skin. She stood awkwardly and pressed forward, the First smiling with Kamal's face. It reeled a bit and snarled. Karina had sparred with Kamal; she knew what he would and wouldn't do. She knew it wasn't really Kamal. She knew there was no good reason why she couldn't fight.

So she lashed out and kicked. Throwing an uppercut, she waited for the First to stumble again before she brought down her elbow onto It's shoulder. It looked up at her and that face changed. Karina's eyes went wide as her mother's face looked up at her.

"Why? Why are you hurting me?"

Standing there, stunned, Karina could only lower her attacking arm and back away. Her mother stood there, smiling winsomely.

"Karina!"

She felt cold metal go through her ribcage and looked down to see the scythe protruding from beneath her breasts. The breathless whisper of Angelus fell into her ear.

"Watch. Your future's end."

As Karina fell in sudden pain, she saw Angelus cross in front of her and towards the Slayer. The girl whimpered. Angelus tilted his head and sank his teeth into her, draining from her her blood and the chance that any Slayer would be chosen in wake of her death. Michael fell to his knees next to Karina and propped her up.

The girl's eyes fluttered with one last desperate attempt at life. Then there was only a limp body strung by chains. Angelus turned to see Karina and Michael. He snarled. Karina held onto her bleeding abdomen and writhed in pain.

"You son of a bitch."

Angelus only laughed.

Karina stood suddenly and tore the scythe from her gut, shifting her grip and moving forward in one giant motion. She landed the bloody blade into Angelus's shoulder and nailed him to the wall, missing his heart for grace of his reflexes. He roared with demonic pain and shoved her away. She fell again and this time the pain and the blood loss were too much. She stayed down. He tore away the scythe and threw it down to the cavern floor.

The First, still disguised as Jo, walked over to the two of them as they sat there. Karina looked up and smiled at It.

"The war's not over yet."

With that, she and Michael disappeared in a haze.

* * *

Kate eyed the others as they lay in bed, too tired to really care that they were in such close quarters. Michael and Fred were in the twin while the guys were in the full. She had to smile inwardly. Angel hadn't been as put off as Gunn. Michael didn't seem to mind his bedmate at all and made no argument. She knew that Angel was silently worried about Hope. Michael had tried to explain the connection the three of them had, but she hadn't understood the technical. All she knew was that Angel was worried about Hope even though Michael had assured everyone that she was fine.

She admired that. Angel was the man a woman could rely on. He let Hope have her space, but he kept an eye on her nonetheless. Kate had to wish she could find someone like that eventually. But, until she did, she was happy for Angel…and for Hope.

* * *

The creature loomed in front of her, taunting her with the limp form of her lover in its hand. Hope felt all of her energy gone, her will to survive this battle lost as her beloved was tossed aside like a rag doll. She watched him hit with hard force, the pillar cracking upon impact. She couldn't find the voice she needed to scream. She couldn't find the strength to fight the thing in front of her.

"Take the shot!" a voice called out from the sidelines.

Hope just eyed her lover. His body was slowly fading into nothingness, his eternal life gone, extinguished, by the creature.

"Take him down!" the voice called again.

The creature eyed her, ready to make her the next victim. And she found that she was willing to die if only she could bring back that light—the life that had been stolen from him.

* * *

Hope's alarm sounded blaringly, jarring her from her nightmare. She hit it once and swung her legs out from under the covers. She trod slowly to the bathroom, running cold water over her face. The dream was too real. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than a nightmare, that this was a sign of things to come. But the body had no face. How could she protect him if she didn't know who he was?

She walked back out to the main room and looked past the curtains to see the sky just beginning to darken with night's arrival. The sun was a golden semi-circle on the horizon, it's golden rays touching everything as it sank below mountains in the distance.

Picking up her knapsack, she slipped it on and left the room, ready to get back on her bike and keep on traveling. As she checked out, she thought about Angel, wondering where he was and how he was getting along with Michael.

* * *

Angel could see Hope in his dreams. He could feel her touch and her love. But she wasn't there. With that semi-conscious mind that one has, he was able to dismiss the dream as simply that: a dream.

A shadow passed in front of the windows. Angel dismissed it until he saw another one pass as well, the silhouette not human. He sat up quickly and shoved Gunn. Gunn eyed him and remained quiet as Angel put his finger to his lips. The vampire pointed out towards the windows, letting Gunn see the demons that had found them.

"Get Fred and Kate up," Angel said quietly.

Gunn slid from the bed as Angel got Wesley up. Once Wesley's eyes opened completely, Angel handed him a handgun and motioned towards the windows. Wesley sat up and ducked down, getting below the windowsill to hide from view. He turned the safety off and readied himself.

Kate joined him, awake and ready for a fight. Michael was poised behind one of the beds, both of his palms glowing with deadly, leashed energy. Gunn was next to him and Angel. He kept a stake and a short sword at his chest.

They all waited, unsure of what to expect. Angel and Michael exchanged a look, wondering if Hope was facing the same threats.

"Can you get them off our tail?" Angel asked almost inaudibly.

"Could try."

"Please do," Angel quipped.

Michael closed his eyes and concentrated. Angel and Gunn watched him start to take on a familiar glow; his skin became golden and his hands held the most gleam. His lids opened to reveal opaque white irises. Then he exhaled sharply and the glow and unique eye color were lost. Angel turned to see the demons run off, evidently no longer looking for them.

Michael stood up and sighed, "Glad that worked."

"Have to agree with that," Angel allowed, standing as well.

* * *

Hope eyed the border patrol and smiled. They had no idea she was coming. She had made sure of that. She roared past the checkpoint and the little booth, never paying any attention to the stiff Canadians she passed. The mountains loomed off in the distance, their entirety covered in snow. Even at the lower altitude, she was glad she was wearing a leather jacket. She preferred the warmth—always had, always would. All she wanted now was to get the sword and get back to Angel. Even if his body was cold, being with him gave her a warmth she couldn't find anywhere else.

She drove for a mindless hour, the flecks of snow becoming more prominent as she ascended the mountain road. Seeing her stop, she pulled over and locked the bike up, hooking her helmet onto her knapsack and covering the bike with a tarp to keep the seat from getting wet with slush and snow. She walked up to the nearest rock face and placed her hand on the frozen surface. The snow melted away to reveal a mystical lock. Taking a deep breath, Hope plunged her hand deep into the rock, her fist aching. The lock was broken, deactivated. She pulled her fist away and shook it to relieve the pain.

The doorway that had been invisible before showed itself fully. Snow dropped and landed at Hope's feet, the tunnel ahead dark, cold and slick with generations of ice. She walked in. The doorway closed behind her and cut off all light. Hope waited a moment for her demonic eyes to adjust, then continued. She took a sniff of the air, smelling live creatures.

Ice cracked under feet, but not hers.

"Who's there?" she asked quietly.

She was hit in the back of the head. Vertigo claimed her.

* * *

Kate pulled up to the parking garage and offered her security card. The guard allowed her to get in. They'd driven through the night after the near encounter at the hotel and had made good time. The fact that Kate made use of the emergency light helped a bit.

Everyone unloaded stiffly, the drive a long one. Angel, Michael and Gunn unloaded the bags and the weapons from the rack while Wesley helped Kate and Fred get everything from the back compartment.

"Your boss knows we're coming?" Angel asked.

"He knows I'm bringing backup. Everyone inside should be the ones who already know about demons."

"Did he say how he knew Hope?" Fred asked.

"No. But he knows her. He doesn't take orders from anyone."

"Except Hope, I assume," Wesley sighed.

"Evidently."

They walked to the elevator and took it to the first floor. When the elevator doors opened, Angel and the others found themselves looking at a ship-shape band of officers. The stockiest of them walked over to Kate with a tired smile.

"We've been expecting you."

"Chief. This is Angel, Michael, Fred, Charles and Wesley," Kate introduced them, "Guys, Chief John Brandon."

"Pleasure. Don't get me wrong, but you said Hope was coming," Brandon seemed a bit nervous.

"She's getting some weapons. She'll be here as soon as she can," Michael spoke up, "Until she comes, I'm giving orders in her place."

Angel eyed him in surprise and near disgust. He kept his mouth shut and just tossed down the bags he had on his shoulder and in his hands.

"What's all this?" the chief asked.

"Supplies," Angel said curtly.

The chief eyed Angel for a moment, then looked to another officer. That one nodded subtly. The chief returned his gaze back to Angel.

"A vampire?"

"He's on our team, Chief," Kate interjected.

"He has a soul," Fred added innocently.

The chief sneered at Angel and took a step closer to him, "Let me get something straight. I trust Kate's judgment. That doesn't mean, however, that I trust you."

With that, he retreated to an office on the other side of the cubicles and shut the door. Kate looked to Angel apologetically.

"He lost family to vampires."

"Works for me," Angel said, taking the bags from Fred and putting them on a nearby empty desk.

Michael stepped forward and looked at the already disgruntled officers. He inhaled deeply and stood straighter.

"Listen up. The sun won't be rising in an hour. It won't be rising for a while. I want a constant patrol of the nearby area to keep the civilian casualties down. Five men to a patrol. Don't break apart. Don't be heroes. Just stake any vampires you see. Each group will take three-hour shifts. Call in on the radio every half hour. The first patrol goes out at five thirty. Get assembled before then," he ordered, keeping a straight face.

The officers walked away as he did, getting into small groups and talking. Michael caught Angel's glare. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Problem?"

"I wouldn't be sending anyone out if I were you."

"Good thing you're not."

"You'll get them killed," Angel added confidentially.

"We can't stop the number of deaths. We can keep the number low."

"Is that what Hope would say?" Gunn asked, obviously taking Angel's side in the argument.

"You don't know her; otherwise you wouldn't be asking me that," Michael answered sourly, then walked off to look at the maps on the wall.

* * *

Hope snapped awake quickly. She could feel warmth at her feet and a tightness around her wrists. She opened her eyes to see a small fire and several silhouettes by it. She sat up a bit, leaning her back against a cold rock face.

"Okay, very funny. Who are you people?" Hope asked simply.

They scattered about, grabbing primitive spears and stone daggers. They surrounded her and Hope caught sight of their childlike proportions. They aimed the weapons at her, afraid and superstitious. Hope rolled her eyes and let her wrists bring forth fire. The fire burned through the rope holding her and she stood, looking down at the beings.

They poked at her, drawing some blood in her thighs. She rolled her eyes again and waved her hand, combusting the weapons they used on her. At that, the creatures backed away and eyed her.

"Who are you guys?" she asked.

One of the largest, still only to her hip, came forward and fell to his knees, kowtowing with his head to the frosty ground. The others followed suite. Although flattered, Hope was impatient. She looked at her watch and found that she'd been unconscious for almost four hours. That was time she could have used to get the sword and get back to Angel in Denver. She stepped over the creatures carefully to get towards the main tunnel. She recognized it as the one she needed to descend down to get the weapon. The largest of the little people caught up with her and tugged at her hand. She looked at him—she was pretty sure it was a him—and waited.

He offered her a golden piece of ice. Hope smiled, knowing what it was. She kneeled to get on face level with him.

"Where did you get this?" she asked slowly.

His head turned like that of a dog; that quizzical looked confirmed her thought that they didn't speak English. She sighed.

She looked down to the dirt and drew a picture of the sword. The little man squealed in joy and started jumping up and down. He took her hand and led her to the opening of the cave. Once there, he threw another piece of golden ice down into the inky depths and Hope smiled as it lit up the space. She walked on, the little people staying behind.

She had no idea what or who they were, but she knew they were on her side. At least she thought she knew. But, she would take whatever came at her in stride.

* * *

Kate walked into the officers' lounge and saw Angel sitting at the farthest table, holding a steaming cup of coffee. She sat down across from him after pouring herself one. He looked up tiredly at her. They didn't say anything for a moment, just eyed one another. Kate looked down at her coffee cup.

"You and Michael don't like each other very much."

Angel scoffed, "That's an understatement."

"Because of Hope?"

Angel nodded, "Yeah."

"Why?"

"He's her ex."

"Ouch. And he still hangs around?"

"Not much of a choice. He can be an asshole, but he's powerful. He's fought these things before with her. Right now, we need the expertise."

"You don't sound all that convinced," Kate took a sip of coffee.

"Hope's more powerful than he is. I don't think we need him hanging around."

Kate sighed, "Obviously she disagrees."

"She's still reeling from what happened. She won't stand on her own two feet," Angel allowed, taking a sip of coffee, "That's the only reason she's letting Michael help."

"You think she can really handle this by herself?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here. I'd be with her."

"If she couldn't do it, what makes you think you could help?"

Angel eyed her, "I believe in her. She just has to believe in herself."

"And you'd be helping by…" Kate waited.

"By making her remember it."

With that, Angel downed what was left of his coffee and stood, walking out towards the main offices. Kate watched him go, knowing he missed Hope. She just sat there alone, holding her cup in her hands, enjoying the warmth.

* * *

Wesley laid the book open and sighed, trying to think through the cloud that was Hope's unavailability. He hadn't realized it before, but he missed her. Not because he was truly in love with her. Only because she brought a sense of peace with her. Even after everything that happened, Wesley could look at her, try to forget what had happened, and feel that peace she exuded. He missed that. Not so much her as what she represented.

"What are you looking up?" Fred asked.

Wesley didn't look up, only rubbed his temples, "I forget."

Fred smiled a bit, "Why don't you take a rest? You've been jittery since we got in the car this morning."

"I keep thinking I'm missing something. When I first looked up the power center, there was something else. Something trivial. But it was enough to catch my eye."

"Take a rest and then get back to it. Look at it with fresh eyes," Fred sat next to him, smiling warmly.

"I can't sleep."

Fred sighed, "I know what you mean. Angel told me to get some rest. After he left I got back up, walked around. Came to see you."

"Protector," Wesley mumbled.

Fred eyed him quizzically, "Protect her?"

"Not _her_. Protec_tor_," Wesley ran his finger along the text as he read, "The protector of the keeper will be slaughtered in time unknown for the use of the center of power."

Fred's brow furrowed, "Why does that not sound like a good thing?"

Wesley sighed, "Well, the ancient Sumerian is roughly translated. There could be several other meanings. I'll have to work through it some more."

"But who's the keeper?" Fred asked.

"It's Hope," Michael said simply.

Fred and Wesley just looked at Michael for a moment, unable to comprehend what he was talking about. Wesley stood and kept the book in his hands.

"You know about this?"

"It didn't cross my mind until I heard you say it," Michael stated.

"And it's Hope? The keeper is Hope?" Fred asked, standing next to Wesley.

Michael nodded.

Wesley cocked an eyebrow, "Angel is the protector, isn't he?"

Fred looked between Michael and Fred, "Someone wants to kill Angel? How do we know it's Angel?"

"The keeper is Hope. The protector has to be Angel," Michael stated.

"How do we know—" Fred started.

"Think sexually," Wesley said.

Fred's brows raised, "Oh. So, because he and Hope are…oh."

"Keeper means the feminine. Protector means the masculine partner. In this case, anyway," Michael said, keeping his voice neutral.

"It can mean a few things. In Sumerian, this is an interpretation of the meaning. More or less, the correct interpretation," Wesley agreed.

"But can't we keep looking? Can't there be another meaning?" Fred asked hopefully.

Michael sighed, "I doubt it."

"We need to tell Angel," Wesley said, walking out of the room.

* * *

Hope threw her fist through a sheet of ice that had sealed off parts of the cavern. The ice shattered, crackled like glass. Hope waited for it to fall completely, then walked through the passage into the giant crater. She could only eye it for a moment. It was so grand and expansive. It had been eons since she'd last been here, overwhelmed by the beauty.

Icicles hung for meters on meters, catching the glistening water at the basin of the crater. The distinct sound of drips and drops sounded and resounded, overlapping one another to create a harmonious concert. At the very rim, where Hope was, was rock and ice. The ice was so thin it gave the rock a glossed-over looked, like the apparition of hot asphalt on a summer day off in the distance. As Hope stood there, she could feel the power of centuries running towards her.

She carefully descended the slippery rock face, getting closer to the mystical water. The water never froze and never boiled. Hope finally was able to touch it. She dipped her hand in, feeling the silvery essence of it refill her. She smiled, taking her clothes off one piece at a time.

Leaving her human made clothes on the bank, she waded into the water, it and her blending together in a show of purity. She waded deeper and dipped her head under. She reached the surface and inhaled deeply, looking around.

"I wish you could see this, Angel," she sighed.

Among the echoes of her voice, she heard footsteps. These footsteps were too heavy to be that of the small beings she'd encountered earlier. She allowed her material form to give way and she disappeared into the water, nothing more than a ripple. She watched as large demons, much like the ones who had been on the bikes, followed her footsteps towards the bank of the lake. The leader of the threesome looked up to his followers, holding her clothes and laughing suggestively. Hope cocked and eyebrow and waded from the water next to them, her form covered in nothing more than water droplets. The demons didn't notice her until she swiped at the head of the first demon and grabbed her clothes back from him. He went head forward into the water. Hope smiled as he sizzled in the purity surrounding him.

The other two shared a comical look. Hope dropped her clothing and walked behind them, waiting. They went back to back. Hope smiled and felt her invisible face transform, her fangs pushing her tongue out of the way. She ran at the first demon and he, too, was killed in the water. The last one she eyed for a moment, watching him with amusement as he swiped at thin air.

"I'm over here," she smiled.

As he searched for her voice, she allowed herself to be seen. He was taken aback at her horrific visage and the nudity. Unable to defend himself, Hope grabbed him tightly and spun him around, sinking her fangs into the thick neck, the blood farther down than most. He squirmed and tried to grab at her as she drank. She just smiled and continued to feed her inner pleasure. The struggling stopped soon after and she threw his body into the water.

It splashed her.

She yelped as it burned her skin. She quickly turned back into her human façade and found that it stopped. She laid there, some of the skin on her stomach and legs burnt away to reveal muscle and bone. She grimaced as she ran her hands over the pained area. The skin came back, sealing off the pain. She exhaled deeply, grateful that she hadn't gotten in a real struggle.

Waiting a moment to regain herself, she stood and continued on, wanting to get to the bottom of the lake and get the sword.

Hope walked out of the water again, the sword in hand. It was not a sword in the usual sense. It had no blade, no handle, no real shape. It appeared to be more a glowing orb stretched out into a pole. Hope carried it back to where her clothes laid and put it down. The glow lessened a bit, but not much. As she pulled on her clothes, she could feel the weight of what would happen draw heavy on her shoulders. Although having been bathed in purity unknown to anything besides her, she still felt so dirty. She still felt like a common demon. As she pulled on her leather jacket and zipped it closed, she eyed the sword. It came up to her awaiting hand. She smiled sinfully.

"Not a demon. Not me," she said aloud, shoving the sword down the sheath that had been built into her jacket's interior.

With that, she walked out the way she had come, ready to get back to Angel. She needed to feel him again. She needed his love, his faith.

* * *

2112, London, Britain

Michael and Karina stay perched on the top of the building. She could see the advancing army moving through the streets. Angelus wasn't at the forefront. He never was anymore. He stayed back, let others lead the übervamps. But the army was still his. So, Karina had vowed to attack it. Since the loss of the Watcher's Council, London had become easy prey. Some had made it. A few of the Watchers were behind her. They'd managed to sneak out the heaviest of artillery. And they'd been her connection to the people.

The rain continued to drench the streets and put out the fires from the previous night's raid. No one had seen it coming. Even Karina, for all her visions, hadn't been forewarned. The übervamps had attacked and Michael had been forced to call the retreat.

She looked to him and nodded her head. He stayed crouched, moving to the edge of the building and looking down the side street to see what was left of the army they'd assembled. He tossed down a pebble to get the attention of the Watchers. They looked up to him and he gave them the signal.

The lead übervamp came closer. Michael came back to her side. She held out her hand and he took it, squeezing it once. They shared a glimpse of each other's fear. Taking the scythe out from behind her, Karina jumped. Sailing down the side of the building, a hundred feet up, she had plenty of time to position the scythe. She landed in between the leader and the main infantry. Plunging the wooden end of the scythe into the leader's heart, she turned as it was dusted. The rest of the army only eyed her for her deed.

Then they attacked.

She knew she would be on her own for the first few minutes. That had been the arrangement. Using the best weapon they had, she would deal out what she could before the other volunteers came out. For a shining moment, she hefted the scythe like it was an extension of herself. Surrounded by the übervamps, she continued to swing at their heads, knowing they would give her the targets.

Jagged clubs and chobos rammed at her. Some were laced with metal and grazed her skin as they came by. A blow hit her face, tearing open her eyebrow. In the moment of pause it took for her to get her momentum back, a thick blade ran through her torso. She doubled over and kicked backwards, throwing the übervamp's grip. She tore the blade from her torso and threw it aside. A metal-laced club landed in her back and she could feel all the little blades cut through her clothes and skin. She spun violently, disarming the übervamp and dislodging his weapon from her back at the same time. She threw an elbow up into his face and followed with the scythe.

"Karina!"

In the rain, she could hear the backup Michael had ordered. The flaming arrows stayed alight even in the wet air. Taking one giant swing around her, she ducked, knowing the masses of übervamps would keep her from being hit. The demons around her wailed as the flaming arrows impaled them. Some were dusted, the velocity of the arrow enough to pierce the thick hide. Others caught on fire, unable to put themselves out.

She felt the cold steel and burning flame of an arrowhead go through her shoulder as her enemy shield was cut down around her. Looking at the head, she wrapped a hand around it and put out the flame before she broke it from the shaft. Reaching behind her back, she yanked on the shaft and felt it slide out. Her hand started to bleed from the flames and she dunked it into a puddle of rainwater, not caring.

She stood to see the herd of übervamps thinned out but not gone. She ignored her pounding and searing body and swung again. The head of the nearest übervamp came off. It landed at her feet before turning to dust. The volunteers ran from behind, passing her. Feeling blood seep down her shirt, she ran to join and keep up with them. Ramming the wooden stake forward, she dusted another übervamp, knowing there were hundreds more to go.

Raising a club, one brought it down onto her arm. She could hear the bone shatter and yelped, bringing the scythe up in anticipation of another blow. Michael took the fight and grabbed the scythe from her, shoving it into the chest of her assailant. He ran with her to the side of the fight. The humans they'd gathered were doing what they could.

Karina leaned up against cold and wet brick. Michael eyed her wounds.

"I'm fine!" she yelled above the commotion.

She placed her unburned hand over her shoulder wound and expected the grace of His healing power to make the pain stop. It didn't.

Her frightened eyes turned to Michael, "I can't heal."

"What!"

"I can't heal."

He eyed her powerless hand and pressed his over it, trying to give her whatever juice she was missing, "Try now!"

A soft glow encompassed her shoulder, but it lasted for barely enough time to heal the wound. She looked to the armies. Her people would be cut down soon if she didn't stop the bastards.

"Get them all back."

"We can still do this."

"Plan B."

"If you can't heal, there's no way you're gonna throw those spheres around."

"I have to try. Get them back!"

Karina walked from the steady wall and listened to the retreat bell being sounded. The people around her ran towards the source. She could feel her powers waver like the ripples on the puddles at her feet. Holding her hands out, she summoned her strength.

Two giant fireballs were let loose on the army of the First. For the first time since she'd learn to wield the elements, she could feel a drain afterwards; her body shuddered. Still, she did it again and watched the hordes scatter and turn to dust. Knowing that another two would claim her strength, she hoisted her hands up high, hoping to get more speed on the spheres. Releasing them, she fell to all fours and let the rain wash over her. Michael fell to his knees next to her and pried her from the ground. Feeling the pain of overexerting herself, she wobbled away with him.

He led her into the storehouse they'd been perched on. She could feel her adrenaline slow as the fatigue from the wounds wore in. Michael propped her up against the cold wall, looking out the window to see the übervamp army pulling back as well. The storehouse filled quickly with those who'd survived.

"Karina?"

She coughed, blood coming up from her lungs.

"Oh, God. Hang in there."

She wrapped her bloody hand around his, squeezing it. She could feel the slick blood in her throat making it impossible to talk. She coughed again, feeling more of it forced up from her lungs. He wiped it away from her mouth for her.

_Why can't I heal?_

"I don't know. But you'll be fine. You're still half demon. You just have to stay awake."

Her furrowed brow highlighted her one bloody eye. He hadn't seen it before now. But blood seeped from the corner of her right eye and covered half of it, giving that eye a demonic appearance. She leaned over and braced herself on the floor, throwing up. Blood came from her mouth, dripping after the initial fit.

He helped her sit back up and she gazed at him, wincing with each breath, _Am I being punished?_

"What? No."

_Then why? Why can't I heal? Did I do something wrong? Did I upset Him?_

"You haven't done anything wrong, Karina."

_It hurts._

Sitting next to her, he took her in his arms, feeling her blood seep onto his wet clothes. She leaned into him, coughing as her lungs filled again.

"I'm here, Karina. I'm here."

He felt her go limp, her body no longer fighting the pain it was in. With every breath, she tensed. His eyes darted from survivor to survivor. Many were in Karina's position. Some were beyond help. But none of them paid her much attention. She'd shown her powers more than once. Why bother with someone so beyond the mortal coil? He ran his hand over her forehead, trying to give her some comfort. Slowly, her eyes closed. Her lungs wheezed with every breath.

He looked up at the ceiling, beyond it, "If You're listening, help her. Fix this. Make her whole again."

The thunderclap outside lit up the storehouse. The rain pelted the windows. Some of it dripped from faulty pipes along the ceiling. Curling up against the wall and holding her, Michael felt the wetness chill him to the bone. Huddled there, he felt his own rain drip down his face.

* * *

Angel cocked an eyebrow, "So Shin needs to sacrifice me in order to do what?" he asked, not taking the issue seriously.

"If he kills you, it will complete his power…restore him to his former grace," Michael said simply.

"He's not at full power now?" Angel asked.

"No. Nowhere close."

"How bad could it be?"

"Nothing could stop him," Michael said seriously.

Angel shrugged, "He doesn't even know I'm here. He won't come looking for me in Denver."

"It won't take him too long to figure out where you are," Wesley sighed.

"But, until we get Hope here, it would be best if you stayed out of sight. We can't afford word getting back to Shin. He'd kill everyone to get to you," Michael said simply.

Angel shook his head, "I'm not hiding from this fight."

"No worries, vampire, you'll be able to go riding off into the lack-of-sunset with your sex toy and die a warrior's death," Michael raised his voice slightly.

Angel stood and eyed Michael, "What did you just call her?"

"You heard me."

Angel smiled, "Thought so."

He went to throw a punch at Michael. Michael reacted quickly and threw Angel across the room and through an office window. He waited a moment, assured that Angel would not be getting back up. Much to his surprise, Angel leaped through the broken window with his game face on and ready to rumble. He advanced on Michael, the demigod ready to enjoy a fight.

Fred stepped in between them, "Will you two stop it!"

Angel eyed her, his yellow eyes piercing her courage. But she stood her ground.

His face changed back slowly and with reluctance. He looked up to Michael, "Be grateful she's here."

Michael smiled as Angel started to walk away, still seething, "I should say that to you."

Fred eyed Michael disdainfully and ran after Angel, leaving Michael and Wesley alone. Wesley sighed and sat down, opening the book and trying to see if there wasn't another acceptable translation.

* * *

Yeodon Shin eyed the man again, amused by his haughty attitude. The young man kept his arms crossed, a demon behind him holding an orb.

"The Protector is gone," Eric smiled.

Shin leaned forward in his seat a bit, "You know where it is," he assumed.

Eric nodded, "I know where it is. My master has been so kind as to trail the Protector. He informed me just moments ago."

"And?" Shin waited impatiently.

Eric looked back at the demon and took the orb in his own hands, "I could tell you. But my master has deemed it unfavorable to take the Protector so soon. Give it time. A few days, perhaps."

Shin stood, "You dare tell me to wait!"

"If you wait, more will come of it. The one you need is more likely to bring adherents if you wait. Your target will come to you."

* * *

"Angel!" Fred called after him, amazed at how fast he could walk. She finally caught sight of him and ran faster, taking his sleeve in her hand, "Will you wait?" she asked.

He spun quickly, frightening her, "I can't take this anymore."

Fred sighed, "I know. But he's testing you. You can't give in like that."

Angel started to pace, his hands crossed tightly over his chest. Fred could see the metaphorical steam rising from his ears. His face was taut and his jaw muscles worked as his teeth clenched.

"We don't need him here. But no, Hope can't get back on her own two damn feet!"

Fred remained quiet but audible, "She was in Hell, Angel."

"I was in Hell once. I got over it! She needs to do the same! Instead she brings her ex into the tumble and goes off on some little mission. Meanwhile, I'm stuck with his posturing and insults!"

"She loves you, Angel."

"Does she? She's always turning to Michael when things get rough. Does she really love me? Need me?"

Fred smiled warmly, "I know it. And so do you. You're just mad at Michael."

Angel sighed heavily and visibly relaxed a bit, "I can't stand the idea of not being with her in this fight."

"You'll be with her. You just need to lay low until she gets back."

Angel eyed Fred, "Yeah. I just can't stand the thought that Michael's the better man. That he has more to offer her."

"Don't think like that. You're not below Michael."

Angel looked at her forlornly, "Aren't I?"

* * *

Hope uncovered her motorbike and sat on it, turning the handles quickly to rev up the engine. The rear wheel skid on the icy ground for a moment before it griped and sent the bike forward. Hope ran it back down the path she'd come up, the caves behind her vanishing beneath snow and magick.

In the darkness of the day, she looked around. Her eyes had no trouble distinguishing path from rocky terrain, mountains from the skies they touched. She sighed heavily, uncomfortable in the complete darkness. At least at nighttime there would be less insecurity. That was the normal time for such darkness to envelop the land. But here, now, was the worst time. Even as a goddess, she couldn't ignore the tingle her spine had as she continued on, the sword on her back reminding her of the fight to come. She felt a slight twinge and she shook her head to be clear of it.

She shuddered completely, losing control of the bike. It fell to the ice with her on it, the bike skidding off in one direction, her body tumbling in another.

"_Look at him! Dead! You did this!"_

_"I didn't!"_

_"All you. All the power inside you!"_

Hope screamed in agony as the words racked her brain, her voice drowned out by the vastness of the mountains and the lines in her head. She clutched at her helmet, trying to tear it off to relieve the claustrophobia.

"_Take the shot, Hope! Do it now!"_

_"Weep for what you have lost! Your beloved is dead!"_

_"No!"_

The voices receded and left Hope with a crushing migraine. Rolling over to get on her hands and knees, she stayed doubled over, her helmeted head resting against the ground. Tears fell from her eyes to the visor, the heat of them steaming up the otherwise cold material. She tried to concentrate enough to get the pain away, to heal herself. The concentration only offered her more pain.

So she lay there, immobilized by pain and fear.

* * *

Fred watched as Angel grabbed at his head and moaned incomprehensively loud, his legs giving out beneath him. She only stood for a second, afraid of whatever he was feeling; her heart took over and she ran to his side as he collapsed to the ground.

"Angel!" she yelled at him.

His eyes were welded shut. His mouth was agape in unmentionable pain. He kept his hands at his ears, trying to drown out whatever he was hearing. Fred placed a hand on either side of his head and tried to steady him, tried to reach him.

She was thrown away from him as his arms lashed out in a spasm, his back arching with the pain. She landed hard on her side. She swore she could feel her hip crack from the impact. She rested for a moment and watched over her shoulder as Angel continued to squirm and writhe. She winced in pain and got to her hands and knees, crawling back to him.

She stopped out of reach of his hands, not wanting to be thrown back again.

"Help!" she screamed out, trying to attract someone's attention.

She was caught off guard as Angel suddenly stopped writhing, his eyes open and facing the ceiling blankly. Fred crawled closer, putting a hand on his shoulder and trying to shake him out of whatever had him.

"Angel," she whispered.

His vacant face just stared ahead with equally vacant eyes. Fred watched as tears started to build up in the outer corners of his eyes; they flowed downwards, landing on his ears.

She looked up at footsteps to see Michael, Gunn and Wesley running towards her. Gunn immediately dropped down next to her side, taking her in his hands.

"You okay?"

She nodded weakly, then turned to look at Angel, "He just started convulsing."

Wesley knelt down beside him and looked questioningly to Michael, "His connection with Hope, perhaps?"

Michael shook his head, "I didn't feel anything happen."H

Wesley sighed, "Angel?"

Angel just remained stock still, unmoving. Gunn helped Fred up.

"Maybe we should get him somewhere safe," he suggested.

Wesley nodded, standing as well, "I agree."

Michael looked back towards the stairwell, "Goody," he complained, knowing he would have to be the one to haul Angel into the depths of the department.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Hope finally moved. She lifted her head from the ice and looked around. She didn't remember what had happened. All she knew was that there had been pain. Terrible, unfathomable pain. Feeling somewhat suffocated, she tore the helmet off her head and looked around with a clear view. She felt the need to breath deeper than normal, her body suddenly craving the oxygen. Still on her knees with her hands braced upon them, she looked for the bike. She knew, somehow, that she and the bike had separated. She saw it lying off on the side of the makeshift road, the left side scraped and dented from the fall.

She stood shakily. She pulled her helmet back on and checked to see if the sword was still in her jacket. With it secure, she checked her watch and sighed heavily.

Night-hour had come.

* * *

On a cot in the break room, Angel lay immobile. His eyes continued to focus on oblivion, his face blank and unrecognizable. Next to him sat Fred. Although her hip was badly bruised, it wasn't broken. Being the case, she decided to stay with Angel and keep an eye on him. She looked up at the clock and sighed. It had been twenty hours since Angel had fallen into the catatonia. Taking a damp cloth in her hand, she ran it across his forehead.

She looked out the slit in the blinds of the window, "Where are you, Hope?" she asked quietly, wishing she were here to take care of things.

* * *

Hope pulled onto the highway from the on-ramp, passing cars and trucks as her bike was pushed to its limits. Although scraped and dented, it still ran. Not thinking about her speed at all, she passed a police cruiser and it took a moment for the sirens to register in her mind. She shifted her head to look over her shoulder and saw the cruiser catching up. She slowed and stopped, unsure as to why she hadn't evaded notice.

She pulled off her helmet and waited, keeping her hands on her hips for the officer to see. He walked up to her cautiously. She noticed that he'd already drawn his gun and was keeping it pointed at the ground.

"Get off the bike, ma'am!" he demanded.

She raised her hands and dismounted the bike, standing still and facing the cop, "Is there a problem, Officer?" she asked.

"We have a file on your tags. We have orders to take you in," he said simply.

Hope smiled, "There must be some mistake," she said, expecting her influence to end the conversation at that.

"Afraid not, ma'am. Just keep your hands where they are. Do you have any weapons on you?" he asked.

Hope inhaled deeply, hoping the sword still wouldn't be visible to human eyes, "No," she said, lying through her teeth. She very well knew that her backpack was full of guns and ammunition and that she had hip holsters that held machetes. On her ankles were more holsters that held several ninja stars.

The officer approached her.

"May I ask why there's a warrant out on my bike?" Hope remained calm.

"I'm not at liberty to say. Please put your hands on the bike seat," he instructed.

Hope sighed and did so. She tried to capture his mind, take away his desire to arrest her. But she couldn't seem to get through. She waited, expecting the cold metal of handcuffs to hit hard on her wrists.

Facing the ditch on the side of the highway, she never saw him aim his gun at her neck.

"Hope!" she heard her name called out.

Hope went to turn, to see who had called her name.

A bullet tore through her neck.

She grabbed at the wound and allowed her other fist to catch a sphere of hell-bent energy. She let it hit the officer as he tried to fire off another round. He fell backwards, his chest smoking. With blood draining down her neck on both sides, she collapsed and focused on the wound, trying to heal herself.

She couldn't feel anything as more blood seeped from her neck. With her back against the bike and unable to tell if she was healing herself, Hope only sat there; blood continued to drain from her open wound. She saw blurry figures come running over. They hovered around her, pressing hard against her delicate wound. Her mind felt as though it were covered by haze and water. Vertigo claimed her.

* * *

Fred gasped and nearly fell back out of the chair as Angel shot upwards, his mouth agape and inhaling air as though he needed it. His eyes were wide with terror and he frantically looked around. Fred grabbed his shoulders and he snapped his head to look at her.

"Fred?"

"Relax. I'm right here."

"Hope," he said in no uncertain terms, then ran out of the break room.

Fred followed, unsure of what exactly he meant by Hope's name. He barreled past several officers and continued on briskly until he came to Kate. She looked up and sensed his frantic state of mind. She stood.

"Angel?"

"An officer just gunned down Hope."

"What?"

"I saw it. I was there."

"Angel, you're not yourself," Fred said, trying to calm him down.

He ignored her and took a step closer to Kate, "Can you monitor dashboard cameras from here?" he asked frantically.

Kate nodded, "Give me the car number."

Attracting attention from the others, Wesley and Gunn walked over.

"Angel?" Wesley asked.

"I saw Hope get shot," he said simply.

"You were gone, man. Didn't look like you were seeing anything," Gun said softly, not trying to upset him or doubt him.

Angel eyed him in that way that meant he was dead serious, "I saw it."

"What was the car number?" Kate asked, pulling up the search engine for the department.

"K64," Angel answered.

Lockley typed it in and waited for the video stream to upload. Her eyes were blank as she saw the commotion the camera was capturing. The others gathered around, seeing the onlookers that were trying to help the woman on the ground. A pool of blood trailed from her onto the road as more cars passed by. Off to the side was a dead body with the distinct officer uniform.

"Oh my God," Fred whispered.

"Can you back it up? See what led to this?" Angel asked, leaning in closer.

Kate nodded.

She typed in the command and the screen blurred for a moment as the tape feedback was rewound. It started playing as soon as the sirens came on. They watched Hope's motorbike race past. The cruiser caught up and she pulled over. They watched as the officer pulled out his gun and approached her.

"Get off the bike, ma'am!" he demanded.

They watched as she complied. She faced the cop, "Is there a problem, Officer?" she asked.

"We have a file on your tags. We have orders to take you in," he said simply.

They could barely make out her innocent smile, "There must be some mistake."

"Afraid not, ma'am. Just keep your hands where they are. Do you have any weapons on you?" he asked.

Hope inhaled deeply, "No."

The officer approached her.

"May I ask why there's a warrant out on my bike?" Hope asked him calmly.

"I'm not at liberty to say. Please put your hands on the bike seat," he instructed.

Hope sighed and did so.

Angel watched with déjà vu as the officer aimed the gun at her neck

"Hope!" her name was called out.

As Hope turned to see just who had called to her, the officer pulled the trigger and the bullet went through her neck and off into the ditch. In an effort to regain some control, Hope allowed a sphere of energy to hit the officer. He was thrown out of camera range, landing with his feet and legs just barely visible.

Angel looked to Wesley knowingly, "Her neck."

"Her neck," Wesley agreed, knowing she hadn't been able to heal that area before from the gunshot he'd inflicted on her.

"I don't get it," Gunn admitted.

"Hope…since she came back from…she hasn't been able to heal a severe wound to the neck. Her mind can't get past the shock to heal itself. Not unless someone's there to tell her to," Angel allowed, not explaining why they knew that.

"Get Michael out there. He'll snap her to it, right?" Fred asked.

"Where is he?" Angel asked.

The convened all shared glances, "I haven't seen him since he brought you to the break room," Gunn said.

"Guys…" Kate trailed off.

They followed her gaze and watched as another figure walked onto the screen. He knelt down before the wounded and dying Hope and took her up in his arms.

"Michael," Angel said; his voice held in it anger and gratefulness.

* * *

Michael set Hope down on the fluffy cot he'd envisioned for her and smiled as she regained her strength. He'd gotten to her soon enough, been able to get her to heal herself. But damage had been done. If not physical, then emotional.

"How's the neck?" he asked.

She just nodded, in too much pain to speak.

"I got there as soon as I could."

_I don't understand why I couldn't stop it. I tried to get into his mind. I did. I even tried slowing time. Nothing worked,_ she cast to him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure it was just a fluke," he tried to assure her.

She looked around as he dabbed blood away form her neck, _Where are we?_

"I brought you back to the Denver station. This is the break room."

He threw away the first soiled rag and then sighed, taking off her jacket gently and laying it aside to be washed. Weak as she was, he had to help her lean up so he could get her shirt off; the blood on it was already becoming sticky.

He laid her back down gently and materialized a fleece throw; he covered her partially exposed chest with it. She reveled in the warmth it gave her.

_Someone was there…they called my name._

"Hope?" Angel's voice reached her ears and she turned slightly to see him standing in the threshold.

At the mere sight of her, he rushed in and fell to his knees beside her, taking her up in his arms. She nestled into his cool chest, grateful for his touch.

"I saw it happen. I thought you were dying on me."

_I'll be okay. Michael got to me in time. I'll be okay,_ she reassured him.

Angel just kissed her on the forehead, holding her tight and never wanting to let go.

Still standing in the threshold, Gunn, Fred, Wesley and Kate looked on, grateful that Hope had been spared.

* * *

Kate sighed, "Here it is. The order to take her down. 'Suspect wanted in serial homicide case. Extremely dangerous and well armed.' Someone put it in the computer."

"Who could do that?" Gunn asked, his arms crossed over his chest defensively.

"More importantly, how could they know her tag number? She created that bike just recently," Wesley pointed out.

"It had to be someone higher up than a regular officer. The statement says the DA filed it," Kate continued on.

Chief Brandon shook his head, "This isn't procedure. Someone tried to pull it off. Didn't do it well enough.

"Seems to me like someone on the inside wants Hope out of the picture," Gunn said pointedly.

Brandon eyed him, "We have dedicated men here, Mister Gunn. Are you suggesting one of them is a betrayer?"

"You see it just as I do. You tell me," Gunn demanded.

"Let's not jump to any conclusions. Not until we know more," Fred begged, "For now, Hope is safe. She's getting better. That's all that matters right now," she finished, looking through the break room window to see Angel and Michael sitting across from the still weak Hope as she sipped hot tea.

* * *

"Any better?" Angel asked.

She nodded, "Getting there," she answered, her voice hoarse.

"The guys are looking into who put out the price on your bike," Angel continued, "We'll find who did this and I'll make them pay."

She sighed, "Not now. Not with this ritual in the game," she started. She coughed violently from the strain of using her windpipe, some of the tea spilling from the cup as she convulsed.

Angel steadied her and waited for her to regain her composure.

"You should get some more rest," Michael suggested.

Evidently casting to him, Hope placed a gentle hand on his arm; her warm smile in Michael's direction chilled Angel to the bone more so than any blizzard could.

"You got it, boss," he smiled, standing and kissing her on the forehead before he walked out of the room.

Angel kept his gaze on the floor.

_You're upset_, she noticed.

"I'm worried," he answered without meeting her gaze.

_Don't be. I'm healing quickly now. I'll be good to go in a few—_

"I don't mean like that," Angel cut her off quickly, finally looking into her eyes.

She just stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. _Of what?_ she asked, already knowing the unfavorable answer.

He stood and paced over to the nearest table, leaning on it, looking down at nothing, "You know what."

Hope's eyes became glassy with repressed pain, _I don't love him, Angel. Don't you believe me?_

"How can I? He's the one you run to. Me? What do you need with me?" he asked, raising his voice slightly and facing her.

_You're my path. My rock._

"That all?" he asked sarcastically.

_Why are you speaking to me like this?_

"Because I have doubts, Hope. About you. About us."

_What can I do to make you trust me? How can I prove to you how much I care about you? Tell me?_

He shook his head slightly, "I don't know."

She stood and walked over to him, the fleece still covering her bare skin. She took his face in her hands and kissed him full on the lips, letting her tongue slide into his mouth and tease his senses. She could feel him surrender. And, for the time being, she could feel his trust of her solidify. His hands were at her back, pulling her closer to his chest.

She pulled away gently and stared into his eyes.

"Don't you?" she asked softly.

The corners of his lips curled up slightly, "Were we arguing?" he asked innocently, leaning back in to kiss her again.

She smiled, grateful she still had some sway with him. She let herself give in as well, his hands running across her cheeks and down her neck.

They stopped and eyed each other. Hope gave Angel another quick, teasing kiss on his neck and then smiled warmly.

_We'll get through this. _

_I believe you_, Angel smiled, still holding Hope close to him. She started coughing violently, her throat still sore and the emotions overcoming her not making it feel any better. Angel guided her to the cot and sat her down, offering her a cup of water. She took it gingerly, her body racking with each cough. She waited until the cough had subsided before taking a sip, grateful for the liquid.

She placed the cup aside and inhaled deeply to calm herself. She caught Angel's worried stare and smiled wanly.

_I'm fine. Just sore._

He kissed her on the forehead and sat next to her on the cot, willing to stay with her if she wanted it. She leaned into him, her head braced on his lap. He ran his hand over her arm. As she started to drift off, Angel leaned back against the wall, tired as well.

* * *

Michael sighed, "We should wake them up," he said simply.

Wesley looked up from his volume and followed Michael's gaze, "I'd let them rest. After all, they may not have a good one until after this ordeal is over."

"Hope needs to start taking charge," the demigod sat across from Wesley.

"Afraid you're not doing a good job?" Wesley asked him.

Michael just stared back in reproach. Wesley smiled wanly and got back to his volume, hoping there was some other explanation for what the protector and the keeper were.

* * *

Everything was still. Hope looked around and smiled. Everything, for the time being, was perfectly still. Oh, so perfectly still. She stepped closer to the edge of the path and looked down at the scene below. Down there wasn't still. People died and demons ran loose. She watched apathetically as the ones she cared about fought for their lives. The odds weren't in their favor. One by one, they were cut down. The demons ate their flesh, tore them apart. One by one. She walked on, not caring as screams reached her ears. The pathway stopped suddenly and Hope was left facing Angel. He smiled at her demonically. His lips were lined in blood. Somehow she knew it was the blood of another friend.

"You drank," she stated the obvious.

"You told me to do it," he smiled.

She remained calmed, albeit confused, "No. You're lying."

He came closer to her, running his dirty hands across her silken clean skin, "You just don't want to believe. But you know it was you," he whispered to her.

"I don't remember," she said apologetically.

Standing behind her, he pulled her hair from her neck, "I'll make you."

He sank his teeth into her. She just stood there and allowed it, feeling her consciousness slip away. Ahead of her, she saw Michael. He was obviously dead and gone; his spirit stood for her to see.

"I told you he would betray you," Michael said simply, sorrowfully.

Still not resisting her death, she eyed him, "I know."

"He'll kill all of us once you're gone, Hope."

"I'm sorry," was all she said back.

* * *

Hope spasmodically shuddered and fell out of the cot. She landed hard on the tiled floor and winced in pain. She was left looking at the ceiling. She composed herself, knowing it had been a nightmare.

She felt blood.

She touched at her neck and looked at her fingertips; her own blood coated them. She sat up and looked at the still sleeping Angel. She could only stare in horror as she saw blood on his lips. She knew it was hers.

Hope stood shakily. She kept her hand pressed against the bite wound and walked towards the sink. Taking several paper towels and running them under the water quickly, she pressed them against her wound. She looked out of the large window and saw the others. They were oblivious to her worry and her situation.

Michael looked towards her, feeling her fear well up from the depths of her soul. His brow furrowed as he caught sight of her at the sink, the blood on her neck self-explanatory. His face became one of rage and he ran into the break room.

"No," she said strongly as he picked Angel up by the collar.

Angel, startled awake, threw Michael's grip and stood, ready for a fight.

"You vampiric bastard!" Michael cursed at him.

Hope ran over, her neck still bleeding, "No...it wasn't him!"

"What the hell is going on?" Angel asked once he saw the blood on Hope's neck.

"What do you mean it wasn't him?"

"I had a nightmare!"

"You think I—"

"He has blood on his lips!"

"I can't explain that. But it wasn't him!"

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I would never hurt her!"

"Whatever happened…it wasn't his fault," Hope admitted.

Angel eyed her, unable to believe that she would think he did what Michael was accusing him of. In the silence and as others came in at the commotion, Hope looked between Angel and Michael. She inhaled deeply, weakness setting in. With a hand on her bite wound, she continued.

"I had a nightmare. Somehow it made this happen. Angel had no control over it. He couldn't have stopped it. It was my fault," she said pathetically.

Still seething, Michael eyed Angel. Angel didn't care about that; he just stared at Hope forlornly. Wrapping his mind around the fact that she had actually admitted he drank from her caused him more pain than he knew he could feel. Running a finger on his lips, he looked at the blood there. He tasted it.

"It's not yours," he said softly.

Hope eyed him, "What?"

"This isn't your blood. It's human."

Hope pulled the paper towels from her neck and walked over to the mirror. The bite marks were clearly visible. A vampire had bitten her—that she knew. That pattern couldn't be faked. She placed more paper towels at her neck and looked back at the group.

Her eyes fell on Michael.

Angel was thinking the same thing she was. Only he acted upon it faster. He rammed Michael into the far wall, pinning him.

"Couldn't get rid of me? Trying to set me up?" he accused.

Michael threw Angel off him. Angel landed hard on a table and it shattered. Hope ran to his side and helped him up. Keeping one hand on Angel's chest and restraining him, she eyed Michael.

"Did you?"

"No."

Angel tried to rush at him again, "Liar!"

Hope stopped him, "He's not lying," she said, grateful for that fact.

Angel glared at her, "I can smell it. He's lying."

"No. He's not," she said calmly. She exhaled deeply, her vision blurring.

"So, what? A vampire came in here and bit you? Left blood on Angel's lips? And no one noticed?" Gunn asked, still eyeing Michael.

Hope sighed, sitting down, exhausted, "I can't explain it."

"Kinda _your_ job though, isn't it?" the chief asked, eyeing Angel.

"I can't explain it!" Hope said loudly, striking silence in those who were whispering behind the main group, "Until I can, no one can be blamed for this. For all we know, it could've been an agent of the Pogroms. We can't afford to be seeing betrayers in our group."

"But there is, Hope," Wesley sighed. At her tired glance, he continued, "Someone put out the order to take you down. And now, with this…I'm afraid someone on the inside is working for Yeodon Shin."

Hope sighed in exasperation, "They won't stay hidden forever. They'll make a mistake. When they do, I'll kill them," she said simply.

She winced and put more pressure on her neck wound. Angel, seeing how much she was hurting, walked to her side and tried to hold her. She shrugged him off walked towards the back of the room and the roof access doorway.

Angel just watched her leave. He could feel Michael's cold stare on his back and he turned fully to face the demigod. As Michael started to come closer, Kate walked in between them and took Angel by the elbow, leading him away from the confrontation. Fred did the same with Michael. The group dispersed and Wesley and Gunn followed Angel and Kate, casting one quick glance at Michael and Fred.

* * *

2114, Miami, Florida, United States

Karina looked through the glass viewing window. The doctors worked tirelessly. Left on the outside and tears falling down her face, she turned away from the sight of Michael on the table.

The demons had surrounded them. Her own body bereft of her greatest assets, she couldn't stop them all. They got past her. Got to him. While her own demonic half was making her wounds heal quicker than natural, she'd not been unscathed. Broken nose, broken arm, shattered skull…blood draining from cuts of all shapes and sizes. But she was lucky. Michael hadn't been. He had no demon to make him stronger. His body was beaten and she had no way to heal it. Her hands had no grace to make the pain stop. She'd retreated, dragged him away in a moment of reprieve. She'd driven him to the hospital, knowing she couldn't do anything.

Things hadn't gotten better since London. Her powers had continued to falter. Becoming more and more human, less and less god, she found herself at an impasse. For so long, the Old One hadn't answered her prayers. For too long, Michael had bailed her out of fights she couldn't win. Standing there, feeling her own mortal body, she felt her emotions close around her throat. She swallowed them back, knowing she couldn't afford to give in to self pity.

Across the way was a prayer room. She walked in, seeing no one else in the area. Moving towards the altar, she got to her knees and placed her elbows on the wood. Leaning her forehead into her clasped hands, she prayed.

"I need You, Old One. My powers have deserted me. I don't have the strength to heal. I need You. I need Your help."

There was a soft breeze and she turned to see Him there, eyeing the commotion across the hall. She stood and walked up to him, her tears starting to overwhelm her eyes.

He looked to her, "Young One."

"Please…why can't I heal?"

"You know the answer."

"But I don't understand. Why am I so weak? Why can't I summon Your gifts?"

"The powers you have are not an infinite source, child. They must be replenished. In this fight, your powers have done all they can."

"How can I get them back? How can I heal him?"

"You must come to my world. My home. Only there will you be purified enough to regain yourself and the powers you seek."

Her face blanched, "Leave? Now?"

"You cannot fight like this. Angelus will win if you go up against him again."

"I can't leave. Michael would have to come with me."

"His body is human. His needs are not your needs. He must stay."

"How long?"

"The damage is extensive. A few years…perhaps more."

"I can't be gone that long. Angelus would overrun everything."

"He will do so if you cannot stop him. Soon, you will lose everything I have gifted you with. The body you own is not whole, Young One. It is split. The demon taints your purity just as it gives it strength. The balance must be struck. Only in my domain can you achieve that balance."

"I can't leave Michael here to fight alone. I can't go with You."

"Then you condemn yourself to death. Angelus won't abandon you when he sees you like this. His hunt will only intensify. He will track you down like an animal and he will make an example of you. Do not make me endure the death of my heralding child," He cupped Karina's bruised face in His hand, looking deep into her eyes.

She took His hand and nodded, "I know."

"There's my child."

"And I'm sorry."

She backed away from Him. He eyed her unsurely, knowing what she had chosen but not knowing why. For all His power and wisdom, he couldn't understand this determination.

"Why?"

"Michael has taught me well, Old One. And I can't leave him behind. Not until this is over. I need him just as much as he needs me. All I ask of you now is Your support. If my end is to come, be there for me. I am your messenger. But my words are mere echoes of a dead race, clinging to what may be in another life."

He smiled warmly, "Then I'll wait for you in that life."

He was gone. Karina looked out the glass door to see the emergency room where Michael was. Leaving the prayer room, she wrapped her arms around her chest, knowing now that the war had been lost. All she could do was see it out. The shuffle and urgency ahead of her calmed as the Old One helped her partner. She knew he would be worn thin, but he would survive.

But she couldn't tell him. He knew she was decrepit. He knew she was nothing but a sage and a prophet. But she couldn't let him know what the Old One had revealed. He wouldn't accept her impending death. He would fight the armies of hell to win. But she knew the victory wouldn't come. She could spare him from that burden, if none other.

* * *

Hope eyed the stars. They shone so brightly. They reminded her of van Gogh's "Starry Night". That same haze surrounded the miniature orbs as they flicked in the blackness of imposed night. She sat there, on the ledge of the building, tired and concerned. All she could think about was the confrontation between Michael and Angel. The nightmare was something she could deal with; the constant bickering between her past and present was starting to wear her down. She couldn't deal with that.

She looked down at the street below. It was a few dozen feet down. But it wasn't dizzying. She enjoyed the height. It reminded her of what she was supposed to be: the goddess…the one who knew the answers. Not that she was fulfilling her role very well anymore.

"Hope?" she heard Michael's voice behind her.

She craned her neck just enough to acknowledge his approach.

"What are you looking at?"

"The stars," she said as she returned her gaze to them.

There was a moment of silence. Michael sighed and broke it, "We need to gain an advantage."

"You just now realized that?"

"I mean we need someone to go undercover. Someone to get on Shin's right hand."

Hope eyed him sardonically, "And who did you have in mind?" At his meaningful stare, Hope shook her head, "No. I won't let you get yourself killed."

"But it makes sense. I have every right to betray you. Shin would believe me if I went to him with an alliance."

"Every right, huh? Like…what?"

"You're with Angel. Do I _need_ another reason?"

Hope sighed, knowing he was right. But she didn't want him going out on a limb anymore than she would.

"And if Shin kills you? Then where will I be?"

"He won't. He's too greedy to give up a chance like this. He'll take it; hook, line, and sinker. You have to let me do this."

Hope scoffed and looked ahead at the mountains, "Everything's so messed up. My whole world is crashing down before my eyes."

"You got me. And you've got Angel. Your world can't be all that bad," Michael assumed.

Hope smiled sardonically, "It's not the same. Angel and I haven't been the same since I tortured him. Since he went through that Hell. He doesn't trust me. In the back of his mind, he can't. When we kiss, he shudders in fear of what could come next. When we make love, his mind isn't on me or my power…it's on how he could defend himself. He acts as though _I_ have a curse and could become evil again. It hurts. More than I can bear sometimes."

"And you blame him for that?" Michael asked innocently.

"I just wish things were the way they were before Hell came to town. That first time…I was his world. He couldn't even keep a coherent thought, let alone think about defending himself. He was lost in my power. I just want him to feel that again. I want to feel that again," she added sorrowfully.

Michael placed a hand on her back as he saw her eyes overflow with passive tears. He rubbed her back gently. She cried silently, no deep breaths giving power to her tears.

He eyed her suddenly, "You had sex with him _before_ he was taken hostage?" he asked incredulously.

Hope only smiled in spite of the situation; knowing that Michael hadn't known was enough to give her a moment of peace. She sighed heavily and looked back up at the stars.

Her eyes snapped back to street level and she leaned forward dangerously to get a better listen. Michael eyed her.

"Hope?" he whispered.

"A fight. Vampires. Sounds like kids," she said choppily.

"Reinforcements?"

She shook her head, "No time."

Before he could stop her, she threw her weight forward and jumped the four stories down to the ground below; she landed like a cat, stealthily and graceful. Michael cursed beneath his breath and followed her down. His own fall wasn't as graceful and he fell forward to his knees. He scrambled to get up and run after Hope. As he stood and got ready to run, Angel fell down next to him; his landing was more graceful than the demigod's.

Michael eyed him as they both started running after Hope, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Without sparing Michael a glance, Angel answered, "I was eavesdropping."

As they followed Hope, Michael could finally hear the sounds of the struggle. Hope was already mixed in the brawl. She threw two of the vampires up against a brick wall; fragments of the bricks fell on top of them as they lay heaped at the base of the wall, unconscious. Taking a backhand hit from a female vampire, Hope rebounded and kicked her back at Angel and Michael. Angel took out a stake and landed it firmly in the vampire's chest. Hope went down on one foot and swiped with the other ankle; the circle of vampires surrounding her was knocked off their feet. She stood and waited for the next attacker.

"Angel! Get the kids out of here!" she said loudly.

Not asking questions, Angel ran over to the two teenagers and their younger entourage. He picked up the three smaller children; one he made ride piggyback. The teenagers followed without question and he led them away from the fight. He didn't spare a glance as he heard Hope morph into her vampiric form.

* * *

Michael and Hope went shoulder to shoulder, blocking the vampires from following Angel. Michael knew what Hope looked like. He just didn't want to see her that way. As the vampires charged, Hope manifested stakes in each of her palms. She thrust them forward spasmodically; two of the vampires were caught by surprise. Michael tossed one over his shoulder.

"Why aren't we frying them?" he asked as he dodged a blow.

"Shin would know we're here!" she answered, kicking another vampire back.

Hope pulled back her arm and let it loose; the stake she held was propelled forward and landed square in the chest of an oncoming vampire. Still facing two vampires and waiting for the other two to regain consciousness, Hope backed up and aimed; her palms each held a stake again.

"Michael!" she called out, wanting him to be ready for her move.

He looked at her.

She ran at him and the vampires behind him. He got down on one knee and intertwined his fingers, giving her a platform. She stepped onto that and he gave her a boost. She was able to flip up and over the vampires. As she landed, she lodged the stakes deep into their chests. The last two vampires still trapped in vertigo, she threw the stakes at them sloppily, still managing to turn them into dust.

"Fun night," Michael sighed.

Hope just eyed him.

They walked back towards the police station. As they entered, Michael cleared his throat purposefully. Hope eyed him again.

"What?"

He circled his finger around his face to tell her what.

She rolled her yellow eyes and kept on walking, her face morphing back into the pleasing human features Michael preferred. They walked back up to the main floor and Hope crossed the room quickly towards Angel.

"Are the kids fine?" she asked.

"Fine," he said gruffly.

Hope's head jolted in taken-aback disgust. She watched him walk away for a moment before catching up to him.

"Excuse me? Is there a problem?"

He turned on her quickly in front of a few officers, "Don't act coy. I heard everything up there," he said simply, then started walking again.

Hope stood where she was, "So get over it."

He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to face her slowly, "What did you say?" he asked somewhat threateningly.

"You heard me. So what? It's the truth."

"And when were you going to tell me about 'the truth'?" he stepped closer to her, his eyes filled with anger and frustration.

She cocked an eyebrow, "Like you wanted to know it."

"Instead of talking about our problems with your ex, you could try talking about them to me!"

"You wanna know our problems?" she asked loudly, "Fine! You don't trust me. And that hurts me more than you can ever know. I helped create you and protect you for hundreds of years and you don't trust me. You think of me like an enemy when we have sex! We kiss and you think about what pain I could inflict on you! That's not trust…it's definitely not love!" she continued getting louder, drawing attention from everyone on the floor.

Fred, Gunn and Wesley walked closer, trying to be there to diffuse the situation. They watched as Angel fumed up, his jaw clenching tightly and his eyes boring into Hope's soul. He stepped even closer to her, an accusatory finger pointed at her chest.

"You wonder why I can't trust you? You tried to kill me! You tried to kill my friends! Tell me why I should trust you!"

"Like you haven't done the same?" Hope asked, her voice quieter but still capturing the attention of all.

Angel straightened slightly from the blow. The two of them fumed at one another for a moment. Wesley stepped into view and tried to sound calm.

"Both of you have done some bad things. But it wasn't you. _Either_ of you. Angelus or the First…not the two of you."

"Stay out of this, Wes!" Angel spared his glance at his companion for a moment.

"Why? Afraid of being overruled? That's what this is all about, right? I came into the picture and you weren't some great leader anymore. You took orders from me and it killed you!" she accused.

"No, you came in waving your omnipotence around like a flag. We never asked for your help! We never needed it!"

"That what you think? Weren't for me, you'd be dead or worse! Your friends would be at the mercy of the First…and Angelus. Make no mistake about that!"

"Better off than having you turn on us like a rabid dog!"

Hope's eyes narrowed into judging slits. She scoffed, "Michael was right—you're just a vampire," she said, turning her back on him.

"You should talk," Angel quipped back, making sure to pronounce every word slowly.

She paused. He could see her fist curl and her shoulders tense.

"Come on, Hope. Take a swing."

"Angel, stop," Fred said from the sidelines.

"Take a swing. Right on the jaw."

She started to walk away. He grabbed her shoulder.

Hope spun around and threw a backhand swing. Angel went flying across the room and landed in a cubicle; the sides came down with him and he destroyed an old fashioned computer. The tower and the screen came crashing down under his back. She stood there, ramrod straight. He got up and advanced on her.

"Don't do this," she said matronly.

He took a swing at her. She ducked it and landed a punch to his gut. He stumbled backwards. He regained his footing. He smiled and spat out blood.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

Her face was blank. It was angry, wasn't happy, wasn't anything. He walked up to her and threw a punch. She caught his fist and twisted, landing her foot to his back.

Angel landed face down. Spitting out blood, he braced himself on all fours for a moment. Hope eyed him apathetically. Fred was at his side, trying to help him up. She looked angrily to Hope. Angel half-heartedly pushed her away and stood. He straightened.

"I don't want to hurt you," Hope said simply, her face forlorn.

Angel ran at her again, ignoring his pain. He tried to throw a punch. Hope blocked it easily. Ducking from another blow, she turned and ran her fist across his face. He fell sideways and again landed face down.

Hope shook her head and started to walk away.

Angel got back up. Hope spun to meet him head on and lashed out with a kick to his ribs. He doubled over and she brought her other knee into his face. He fell backwards and coughed out blood when he landed. Rolling to his side, he glared at her. She just looked back with tired eyes and sighed.

"Stay down, Angel."

He got back up and before he even straightened, she landed a kick to his temple. He was forced down again.

"Stay down!"

When he tried to get up again, she brought her foot up and then down harshly on his shoulder. She heard his scapula crack. He grabbed at it in pain and still tried to get up. She kicked him in the chest.

"Don't make this harder. Stay down!"

Faltering once, he got back to his feet. He wobbled, his eyes searing her. Taking his hand from his wounded shoulder blade, he started at her again. She saw his shoulder drop before he ever threw the punch. It was nothing for her to block it. With his momentum carrying him forward, she ducked sideways; he almost fell forward and regained his balance at the last moment. He pivoted to face her, trying to throw another punch. She hooked his elbow and spun, forcing his arm around the wrong way and bringing him to his knees. Holding his arm against her abs, she threw her other fist into his face. His head jerked back with each hit she landed. She could feel him tighten his captured arm, trying to release it. He yanked forward and she only tightened her grip. She kept punching his face. She felt more and more blood stain her knuckles as she split the skin over his eye, split his lip, shattered his jaw and cheekbone, cracked his nose.

Taking one last hit and seeing his eyes lost to pain and the brink of vertigo, she spun her grip again and brought him around, head over heels, to land on his back. She let go of his arm and threw it down. It landed limply over his bruised body. He coughed violently, blood draining from his ears, mouth and nose. One of his eyes was covered in blood; she'd busted the vessel at the corner and the cornea was covered in crimson pain.

She could only gaze apathetically at him. Feeling her own knuckles bleeding from the impacts, she brought her right hand to her mouth. Sucking at the knuckle with the thickest split, she tasted his blood as it mixed with hers.

Angel spat out blood, eyeing her vehemently. She just gazed down at him, her eyes and his meeting. She scoffed as he rolled onto his side, getting his hands and knees under him. Fred, at his side again, tried to stop him. But he only glared at Hope.

"Are you high? You can't win, Angel! You can't beat me!" Hope yelled at him.

His glare became a smirk and he spat out more blood. He pushed himself up on all fours, his arms and thighs shaking in pain and weakness. She never gave him the chance. Bringing her foot back, then forward, she hooked it under his ribcage. He was thrown up and across the room. He landed, rolled, and came to a rest at the baseboard of the wall.

"That's enough, Hope!" Wesley yelled.

She eyed him, pausing in her advance. Fred rushed to his side and cradled his head in her lap, trying to wipe blood from his face. She watched the two of them. Fred's eyes welled up and she glared at Hope. She watched Angel slip in and out of consciousness. Inhaling deep and feeling the demon ebb, she approached them. Wesley took the stride and stepped in between her and them. He held out his hand to stop her.

"You won. Let it go."

She stared blankly at him. She tried to step around him and he grabbed her by the shoulders. She threw his grip.

"Let me through."

"You don't need to prove anything."

She tried to step past him again and he pushed her backwards. She regained her balance, unprepared for him, of all people, to force her away.

"Wes, step aside."

"No."

"I have to fix it, Wes."

His eyes softened and his posture became lax. He eyed her. She looked to Angel tiredly. He could see her coming. He tried to get himself up. She kneeled down next to him and spared one glance at Fred. Placing a hand on each of his temples, she felt the god come back. Her silver skin shared it's radiance with him. His wounds healed and he was able to stare at her with both eyes. His body healed, she stood. He stared at her, confused. She looked again to Fred. Then she walked off.

Angel coughed once and tried to get up. Fred helped, giving him the balance. He watched her go. She'd won. They all knew it. But that wasn't enough for her.

"Hope…"

She didn't stop. She just kept walking.

Wesley and Gunn walked over. He started after her. Wesley took his elbow.

"Best just to let her be."

She rounded a corner and was out of sight. He relaxed and nodded.

* * *

Kate opened the door to see Hope crying on a table. She knocked quietly and continued in, hoping to calm the goddess down. Hope barely acknowledged her and continued to sob tirelessly. Unsure of her role in the life of a goddess, Kate just sat next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It'll get better."

"But what I said—that can't ever be taken back."

"Do you want to apologize to him?"

She nodded.

"Why don't you?" Kate asked seriously.

"Do you think he'd listen?"

"I think he loves you. I think you love him. That should stand for something, right?" Lockley tried to smile.

"In a perfect world, yeah."

"Why not here? In this world?"

Hope's eyebrows rose, "Because we're both right. We've both done things…terrible things. Things we blame ourselves for. This world doesn't like ambiguity. Right now, that's all we have."


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Hope picked her head up from the soft pillow of the cot. She looked around to see so many others surrounding her; some were on tables with nothing more than a pillow. Some even laid on the floor with their jackets rolled up under their heads. There were a few other cots spread out around the break room and the adjoining office space. The rest of the cubicle walls had been dismantled, the desks moved aside to give room for those who stayed the night.

She sighed and rolled over, looking at the ceiling. It was early in the morning…maybe four or five. But the windows showed no sign of light. The goddess knew she wouldn't be able to sleep now that she was awake. She got up silently and stepped around the officers and others. She stared at the children from the night before; they had cuddled up with one another. She passed Wesley and Gunn on the floor. Angel was asleep in the corner; his makeshift bed was a bench from one of the tables.

Hope walked past them all and out to the interrogation room. As of now, it was set up for communications and broadcasts. There were a few officers sitting up with a bag of chips and a bowl of dip, watching the early morning news. She went in and closed the door behind her to keep the noise out.

"Morning."

"You're up early," the chief noticed.

"Downside of being at war."

"Are we at war?" a young man asked.

Hope eyed him sympathetically, "Yeah. I guess we are."

"Who are we fighting?" he asked.

Hope sighed, "All the evil in this world."

The young officer seemed depressed at that. Hope looked back at the chief, "You haven't changed much."

He smiled sadly, "Wish I could say the same for you," he passed the chips and the dip over to her, "I'd figured you be the same as before."

"So did I, John. So did I."

"So what happened?"

"Fell in love. Got sent to Hell. Had a evil entity take over my body and torture my friends."

"That'll do it. You're…you and Angel?" he asked tentatively.

"Evidently," she said, dipping her handful of chips.

"I didn't think you'd go for vampires."

"He's not just a vampire. He's so much more."

"How do you two know each other?" the young officer asked.

Hope smiled, "Long story."

"Like we haven't the time?" the chief asked.

The door to the room opened and Michael stuck his head in, "Hope…can I talk to you?" he asked gently.

"You tell it. You're better at storytelling anyways," Hope said as she returned the chips and walked out with Michael, closing the door behind her.

"What's up?

"I think I should go see Yeodon Shin."

"It's four-thirty in the morning," Hope complained, "Wait?"

"You know we don't have the time. We need to get as much information now as we can. I need to get in there."

"How are you planning to get in?"

"Teleport? I think it'll look less suspicious than if I sneak in."

Hope sighed tiredly, "Okay. When will you be back?"

His brow rose, "In a few hours if everything goes well?"

"Then I'll see you in a few hours."

He came closer and lowered his voice confidentially, "Do you want me to stay—in case you and Angel get in another fight?"

"I want you to. But I can't afford it. We need to get what we can," she repeated his own words without much enthusiasm for them.

"I don't want to leave you alone with him…not after what happened yesterday."

"I'm not alone with him. There are twenty other people here. I'll be fine," she promised half-heartedly.

"Okay. Then I'll see you later."

"Later."

He leaned over the space between them and kissed her gently on the cheek. As he pulled away, Hope sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. He took a step back and a moment later was gone in a puff of smoke.

Hope sighed once more and walked back into the interrogation room. John was still speaking rapidly, gesturing with his hands as he told the story of their acquaintance. Sitting down, she smiled at his infatuation.

"Still going on about that?" she asked abruptly, interrupting him.

He smiled, "Not every day you get to meet a goddess," he added, then continued to speak to the two young officers.

Hope waited patiently until he was done and smiled. The story was nice to hear; knowing that someone still held her in such high regards was refreshing. One of the younger men turned to face her.

"When did all this happen?" he asked eagerly.

"Ooh," Hope looked to Chief Brandon for help with that, "I'd say during the seventies?"

"Seventy-four," Brandon pointed out proudly.

"You two have known each other for thirty years?" the other officer asked.

Hope smiled at the naiveté, "We met in the 1570's."

The two officers looked at their chief and waited for an explanation. He smiled.

"Don't be too surprised, boys."

"He's no demon, if that makes it easier to swallow," Hope added, "Just a blessed individual working for a good cause."

"You're the good cause?" one of the officers eyed her.

She smiled at the praise, "I guess I am."

"Wow…to live that long…I couldn't imagine it."

"Most can't until they do. I never thought I would be around as long as I've been."

"How long?" the other asked.

"Around five and a half million years."

The two officers gaped at her and she just decided to eat some chips, keeping her chuckles to herself.

Something on the television caught her attention. She grabbed the remote and turned the volume up.

"There is major looting going on down here, Bill. These men are taking whatever they can get and…there are bodies lining the streets…and it is total chaos over here on the strip—"

Hope stood, "Get some men together."

"You think the guys down there are vampires?" the chief asked.

"With those faces? No doubt."

Hope walked back into the break room and leaned down next to Gunn and Wesley. She shook them roughly and tore the pillows out from under their heads.

They eyed her groggily.

"Time to go to work, boys."

"What's up?" Gunn asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"Vampires taking down civilians on a shopping strip."

He stood and smiled tiredly, "Now a brother can get into that."

Wesley stood as well, "Just the three of us?"

"Chief is getting some officers for us to take."

Angel walked over to them, "Going out to fight?"

"I'm not letting you go."

"Why not?"

"The ritual, for one."

Angel eyed her skeptically, "Michael joining you?"

"Can't. He's doing recon. Us and some officers. No one else."

Angel seemed content with that and his posture relaxed.

The chief walked in and had the two young officers with him, "This good enough for you?" he asked, knowing the men sleeping wouldn't be much good after just waking up.

Hope nodded, "It'll have to be. Simple weapons only. Stakes and swords. I don't want any guns on the scene. Don't start taking out the vamps until I take care of the casting crew. Stay in a group and don't get separated," she instructed as she led them out of the room.

Angel and the chief were left behind, watching her lead away. The chief smiled at Angel sympathetically, "Don't worry about Hope. Gal can take care of herself."

Angel crossed his arms over his chest, "If you don't mind, I think I'll worry."

"You and me both."

Angel walked back into the corner and got back into a comfortable sleeping position; he knew he wasn't going to see action any time soon. All he could do was wait until he was needed and until the others had figured out the specifics of the ritual. Until then, he was confined to the station.

* * *

"Does she always drive this fast?" the younger officer with the last name of Jarvis asked.

Wesley, holding dearly to the interior handles of the SUV, smiled, "This is actually quite slow."

Gunn spared a glance at the speedometer, "Yeah. She usually hits one-fifteen before she coasts it out," he added.

The other officer, Nathan, just kept tightening his seatbelt and holding onto the interior handles on the door. Gunn smiled at that and purposefully tried to act unflustered and unconcerned.

The car suddenly swerved and stopped only inches from a news crew. Hope got out quickly and started ushering them into the van they owned, slamming the doors and locking them from the outside. With no chance of being seen, she turned her sinfully happy eyes on the vampires.

Her face changed quickly, "Breakfast time," she said, growling like one of them and running towards the commotion.

Gunn and Wesley exchanged a brief look, "Guess that's our cue," Gunn allowed, getting out. The two young officers followed suite and took out their stakes.

Hope was already tossing vampires aside left and right. Some she threw onto a fire that had broken out. Those two screamed and tried to escape before turning into an inferno themselves. Officer Jarvis stopped dead once he caught sight of Hope's face. He pointed at her, unable to articulate.

Hope turned to face him and saw the vampire coming up behind him. She growled from the depths of her stomach and ran at him. She landed a fierce punch at the vampire and threw him into the fire. As she turned to face Jarvis, he landed a stake in her chest. She eyed him.

"What the hell?" she asked harshly.

"You're a…" he trailed off, unsure why she wasn't combusting into dust.

She tore the stake from her chest and cursed under her breath, "Yeah. Now use it to kill the bad guys!" she raised her voice to be heard over the inferno and handed him back the bloody stake.

Jarvis blinked a few times as she ran off to get back into the fight with Gunn, Wesley and Nathan. His shock, although not worn off, was put aside as a vampire rushed him.

* * *

Eric looked on from a rooftop and sighed. The young officer had done what the master had wanted, but Hope hadn't been fazed. It wasn't the officer's fault. He wasn't even aware of his part in all this. But it was unfortunate that Hope hadn't slowed down. It would make her a harder target.

He loaded the arrow given to him by his master and aimed, waiting for a clean shot.

* * *

Hope threw a stake into the heart of one of the last vampires while Gunn did the same. The two flew away on the wind and Hope was left with the last one that Wesley was taking care of. Jarvis and Nathan were looking to the fallen civilians and staking them. It would be better than having more vampires around.

Hope lunged at the last one and spun him quickly, sinking her teeth deep into his neck. Gunn and Wesley looked on in understanding disgust as she drank.

She reeled back and dropped the vampire. She growled in pain and reached around to her back. She fell to all fours and still tried to dig the miniature arrow from her flesh. Gunn, realizing what had happened, ran over to her and took it out. He threw it aside and placed a hand over the gushing wound.

Wesley kept his axe handy, looking at the tops of the buildings but seeing no sniper, "Are you all right?" he asked.

Hope coughed once and tried to stand, "It burns," she rasped, Gunn supporting her.

Wesley walked to the arrowette and picked it up. It was no longer than his hand and the tip was made of glass. He saw her blood on the tip and half of the shaft. But the tip had another substance on it.

"I'll test it, see what I can find," Wesley assured her, pulling out a handkerchief to wrap it in. He placed in his pants pocket and helped stabilize the weakened Hope. As he went to prop her front side, he felt a gaping hole and blood coming from it.

"One of them got you?"

"Junior over there saw me and thought I was evil."

Gunn smiled jokingly, "Want me to hit him for you?"

She coughed again, "Not his fault. Should've warned him."

As the two young officers came over, Hope tried to straighten but failed. Gunn and Wesley had to help keep her from falling forward. She held out a set of keys to Jarvis.

"Maybe you should drive," she said thoughtfully.

* * *

Angel was the first to Hope's side after Wesley and Gunn sat her down at the table. On the ride back, Hope had started sweating and now her entire shirt was wet. With one gaping hole through her breast and a smaller one in her mid back, she was pale from the blood loss.

He looked to Wesley, "What happened?"

"Sniper," Wesley answered, taking the mini-arrow from his pocket.

Angel sniffed it once and made a disgusted face. He looked to Hope and gently pat her on the cheek; she snapped to attention, her hazy and bloodshot yellow eyes looking at him, "Hope? Can you hear me?"

"Angel?"

"Stay with us…you need to figure out what this is," he said strongly.

She just looked at him blankly.

"Can you tell what poison is on here?"

"What…" she said slowly, her eyelids drooping.

Off to the side, Kate got a glass of water and put it to her lips. Hope, feeling the water touching her parched tongue, sipped at it painfully.

Hope started to lean to one side, her body becoming limp. Angel caught her and picked her up, her blood ruining his shirt, "Fred," he called out.

"Here," she said quickly, already getting supplies to clean Hope with.

Angel pushed aside the pillows and laid Hope on a table. He noticed the hole in her front and looked questioningly to Gunn.

"One of the officers freaked."

Angel could understand why. Even prepared, seeing Hope turn into one of his own kind was startling and easily misinterpreted. He lifted her halfway and Gunn helped pull her shirt off. The blood from the first wound stained almost all of her chest and stomach.

"It'll be easier if we roll her on her side," Kate said, taking a spare shirt and placing it over Hope while she unclasped the bra that had two gaping holes in it.

Angel looked to Gunn, "Get them out of here," he said, looking at the officers.

"What do you hope to accomplish here?" Kate asked.

"Make her comfortable until Wesley finds a cure," Angel answered quickly.

"You think he will?" she asked daringly.

"He will."

Fred started dabbing at the wound and clearing away the blood. She pressed gauze over the wounds and laid a cold washcloth on Hope's neck. She watched in horror as the blood continued to flow without stopping.

"It's not clotting," she looked to Angel.

Angel held Hope's dazed face in his hands and shook her gently, "Stay with me, here! You need to heal yourself."

Hope made no response.

He got closer to her face and looked right in her eyes. They registered him and focused, "You need to stop the bleeding!" he said loudly.

She blinked slowly and her hand weakly grabbed at his shirt. She wouldn't have found purchase if one of her fingers hadn't gotten caught between the buttonholes. Angel took her hand in his.

"You need to stop the bleeding," he said again.

His brow furrowed as he realized she was trying to get her hand past his shirt and on to his chest.

"Hope?" he asked softly.

His eyes went wide as a bolt of energy hit him. He fell to his knees as he felt energy drained from him, his entire body in sizzling pain. Fred and Kate ran at him and tried to pull him away from Hope's touch. Even with the pain, he shook his head.

"Leave it!" he yelped.

They stood back and waited. His eyes and Hope's were still locked and the energy passing between them was a visible current of surging electricity. It sparked at the spot where her fingers touched his chest. Angel could feel millions of years of power running through his system, sparking every nerve he had. In Hope's eyes he could see so much. He could see oceans of power and knowledge just waiting to be tapped and harnessed.

Then it was over.

Angel fell to the floor and coughed violently.

On the table, Hope's body started to glow with a silver sheen.

Fred and Kate helped Angel up and kept an eye on Hope.

"What happened?" Fred asked urgently.

"She couldn't heal herself without help. She needed power."

"So she fried you?" Kate asked.

Angel cocked an eyebrow, "Kind of."

Hope's demonic face changed back slowly and with some struggle, but her human features came back. Angel walked up to her and took her hand in his.

"Hope?" he asked.

She only rolled onto her back and closed her eyes, her weakness still great enough to keep her from responding. Her eyes closed peacefully for a moment, then they opened to find Angel. He braced her as she sat up in pain and held the spare shirt to her chest. She shifted it slightly and buttoned it up, slipping her arms through the sleeves.

"You should rest," Fred came up to her.

"Can't. No time," she said, rubbing her forehead.

"I don't want you up and about with this poison in you," Angel said sternly.

She looked at him with a deadpan face, "Champions don't get personal time. Neither do gods," she sighed.

He helped her off the table and braced her as she overcame a wave of vertigo. She shook her head clear of it and walked on towards the office space. She rubbed her arms briskly to warm herself up and found Chief Brandon.

He eyed her worriedly, "You all right?"

"I'll live."

Wesley walked her way, his head in a book. He bumped into her gently before looking up. His face registered surprise.

"Hope. You're up," he stated the obvious.

"Yeah," she mumbled before she walked off and picked up a set of freshly carved stakes.

"You're not going out there. Not like this," Angel took the stakes from her.

"Not like you can."

"Why are you acting like this?" he crossed his arms over his chest, their earlier fight still fresh in his mind.

She grabbed a stake back, "Because I'm the only one who can do this."

"Let Gunn and Wesley go."

"I want them here."

"I won't let you leave, Hope."

She just rolled her eyes and started walking towards the stairwell. Angel caught up to her and grabbed her by the shoulder, turned her to face him. She did so impatiently.

"Stop walking away," he demanded.

She cocked an eyebrow, "What I do best, isn't it?"

As she started to turn again, Angel grabbed her harder and made her face him. Before he could start a sentence, Hope threw his grip and stood apart, glaring.

"Don't presume to understand my reasons. In fact, don't presume to know me."

He scoffed, "I was in your head, Hope. I know you." She shuffled uncomfortably, maybe impatiently. Angel eyed her, his hands on his hips, "Please don't push me away," he asked almost inaudibly.

She sighed tiredly, "We can finish this when I get back."

As she turned away from him, she came face to face with Michael. His face was worn but stern, "You're not going anywhere."

She cocked an eyebrow, "Says who?"

"Me."

She sighed, looked over her shoulder at Angel, then back at Michael, "I need to get out there."

"I can go deal with the undead crowd," Michael assured her.

He held out his hand for the stake she had. She clenched her jaw and then finally turned it over. He put it firmly in his back pocket and walked past Hope.

"Come on. You should rest," he stated.

Hope paused.

She watched with wide and horrified eyes as Michael spun and quickly landed the stake in Angel's heart.

"No!"

Then Michael looked at her.

So did Angel.

"Hope?" Angel asked.

She reached out and touched him; he wasn't dust. He was solid and right there. She looked to Michael and licked her lips.

"You staked him."

Both Angel and Michael displayed confusion. Michael stepped closer to her.

"It was in your head."

"I saw it…" Hope trailed off, unsure of herself.

Angel took her by the hand, "Let's get you to bed."

She passively followed his lead. He covered her up with the blanket. Her eyes were still dazed, but she was focused on him.

"I saw him kill you," she said, reaching out and holding his cheek.

He took her hand in his, "It wasn't real. Just a hallucination."

Her eyes misted up, "I can't lose you."

"You won't. I'm right here."

She nodded her head and snuggled under the blanket, keeping it close to her chin. Angel rubbed the back of her hand once more before he stood and left her side. He switched off the lights in the break room and walked back to the group.

"We need to find a cure. Now."

Michael crossed his arms over his chest, "We don't even know what she's been infected with."

They all stared at him.

"There has to be some way to tell," Kate said strongly.

"There isn't, I'm afraid," Wesley backed Michael up.

"Why would Yeodon Shin poison her? If he had the shot, why not just kill her?" Fred wondered aloud, leaning against a desk.

"Who knows," Michael sighed.

"Am I the only one noticing that someone had to tell big bad where she'd be?" Gunn asked, raising his hand in school-taught fashion.

Angel sighed, "We still have no idea who it is playing both sides."

"Hope was our best bet of finding them," Wesley allowed.

* * *

Angel sat next to Hope's side and eyed her, tired but unwilling to rest. Hope had been mumbling in her sleep; what about, Angel couldn't tell. He pulled a strand of hair from her face and wrapped it behind her ear. He sighed. Even if they fought, he couldn't help but feel for her. She was everything. To the world, if not to him.

She squirmed slightly and her eyes opened suddenly. Without a chance to react, Angel found himself on the floor holding onto his nearly broken nose.

"Oh! I am so sorry," Hope said sincerely, getting off the cot and kneeling next to him.

She helped him sit up and he winced as he gingerly touched his nose and under eye, "I'm okay," he lied.

"I'm sorry. Bad dream," she explained quickly.

"I figured."

Hope helped him to his feet and tried to touch the swelling area. He stopped her gently, "Let's not, okay?" he asked.

She winced, "Really sorry."

They sat next to each other and Hope materialized an ice pack. She placed it gently on his swollen face and let him hold it there.

"What were you dreaming about?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Oh. Okay."

Hope inhaled deeply and stood from the cot. Angel looked up at her.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice muffled.

"Work out room. I need to get some energy out," she said lamely.

Before Angel could start another word, Hope was gone. He could hear her heeled boots click on the floor as she walked away fast. He sighed and leaned against the wall. He could deal with a swollen nose and eye, but couldn't her reluctance to talk to him.

* * *

Hope threw another punch at the bag, watching it swing before she hit it again. It swung again and she threw one last hit, grateful for the outlet. She paused as she heard footsteps walk into the room. She inhaled deeply and looked around the bag to see Michael.

"I'll hold it?" he asked, bracing the bag.

She let him and started hitting the bag again. He winced with each hit. Her fists were red and her face was set in a determined scowl.

"What's wrong?"

"Bad dream."

"About?"

"You and Angel."

"Keep going."

"Fighting."

Michael smiled behind the cover of the bag, "Who won?"

Hope hit the bag with a steady kick and dislodged it from the chain holding it to the ceiling. With it fell Michael. He landed hard on his rump and pushed the bag off himself in exasperation. He eyed her.

"It was just a question."

She exhaled sharply and crossed her arms over chest, "Do you trust me?"

He smiled and leaned back, not bothering to get up, "Of course I do."

"I just…I can't help but think that something is wrong…that there's something crucial that I'm missing, you know? Like something I could see if I were with the Old One," she trailed off, her eyes full of worry.

"What kind of crucial?"

"About me. This poison. You. Us," she said the last word softly.

"As in you and me, us?"

"Not like that. Not romantically…but spiritually, maybe? I don't know."

"I think you're just worried about this fight. Not that you shouldn't be, but you don't hold the world on your shoulders for this one. You've got me. And the sword."

She focused on the floor, "You say it like Angel doesn't matter."

"You know how I stand on that one."

Hope sighed, "Yeah. I know."

"You should go talk to him," Michael said suddenly.

Hope eyed her long-time companion in pleased shock. She smiled slightly, hoping that maybe he was coming around.

"Really?"

"Go. Before I change my mind."

Hope kissed him gently on his cheek and walked from the work out room. She knew where Angel was, she only had to get up that courage. If she was lucky, words wouldn't be needed. She saw him standing in the break room, still nursing his swollen nose and eye. She smiled sympathetically.

She walked into the break room with every intention of making him forgive her. He eyed her and sighed.

"Hope—"

She placed her hands just above his groin and kissed him on his exposed collarbone. She could feel him tense in anticipation.

"That was for hitting you," she said, moving her lips up to the crook of his neck, "This is for calling you a vampire," she said before she kissed him again.

"Hope…"

She placed a finger on his lips and shook her head, "No words," _Just us_, she finished.

* * *

Fred walked past the break room with the books Wesley needed to keep doing research. She looked up to see if she was about to run into anyone and saw, out of the corner of her eye, Angel and Hope kissing. She stopped dead and smiled warmly, watching them and grateful that they'd made up. She sighed wistfully, seeing Hope lay her head on Angel's chest as they continued to forgive and forget.

Gunn walked up behind her and followed her gaze. He smiled at her content look and also at the two lovebirds reuniting.

"I guess they forgot about the whole fight thing," he assumed.

Fred nodded happily, "I'm glad."

* * *

2115, Argentina, South America

The gut feeling in Karina's stomach swallowed her whole and she just stood there for a moment. In that pure second of terrifying doubt and concern, she felt paralyzed. Sitting there in bed, she could feel her heart pumping in her chest, the loudness of it threatening to rupture her eardrums. Across the way on the cot, Michael jumped up as his telepathic link with her ran its course. Seeing her as pale as she was, he pushed aside the sheet and walked over to her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Karina? What's wrong?"

She eyed him, "I keep seeing something. Something bad."

"A vision?"

Her brow furrowed, "I hope not."

"What did you see?"

She swallowed hard, "I see fangs. And there's blood. I get this feeling that something terrible is going to happen. And it's coming."

"Then we'll fight it like we always do."

"No. This is different. Something's different about this. It's more than just a vision. It's like I'm there. More than just a glimpse. I feel it. My neck tingles."

"You think this is going to happen to you?" Michael asked fearfully.

She ran her hand across her neck, "It feels that way."

"No. It won't happen. No vamp can get a taste of you. You're faster and smarter than anything Angelus can send at you."

Again, doubt spread over her face, "What if it is Angelus? He's here. That's why we came down here. But what if it's not just some vamp? What if it's him?"

Michael took her by the hands, eyeing her intently, "No. Listen to me. No. You have not lasted a hundred and some odd years by luck. You are the cure, Karina. The Old One chose you. If it takes another century, you will get him. You will get him and this war will be over."

"We don't know that."

"I do. I believe it. I believe in you and I know talent when I see it. I have seen you go from a street fighter to a master of every martial art this world has and then some. You didn't come all this way to fail now."

"But what if—"

"No. No what ifs. Stop thinking that way."

She shook her head, "But there's so much I haven't done. I've never danced, I've never gone to college. I've never worn a pretty white dress and walked down the aisle. And what if I never get to?" she asked.

He smiled tiredly and looked aside. Karina eyed the small, old-fashioned record player and the record under its needle.

"I can take care of that first one," he lead her from her cozy bed and into the middle of the room while the song started to play. Karina chuckled when she recognized it, fighting back tears of the memories.

"Mom used to play this for me."

Michael danced slowly, holding her close.

"Bird Gurhl. I know," he said simply.

"How—?"

He shushed her gently, still twirling her around and holding her close.

* * *

_So, what made you come back?_ Angel asked simply.

_Michael told me to._

_Oh. Why?_

_I don't know. Does it matter? I'm here. You're here. Together, _she sighed.

The windows shattered.

Hope and Angel reflexively stood back to back and watched as demons lumbered at them. Hope didn't recognize them. They were all bent over to keep from hitting the ceilings. Their muscular arms and clawed hands reminded Hope of a huge Cyclops—only nastier and with two eyes.

"And this would be…" Angel waited for her input as the demons surrounded them.

She cocked her head slightly, "Welcoming committee?"

They could hear more glass crack as the demons surrounded the others in the main office area. Hope and Angel turned to see Gunn and Kate run in with weapons.

"We've come for the protector," one of the demons rumbled.

Hope put her hands out in front of Angel, ready for any attack, "You won't have him. So, why don't you just save yourselves the trouble and leave."

The demons sneered, "As you wish. We will take the protector by force."

Hope let her palms light up in hell-bent energy, "Your funeral," she smiled, throwing her energy forward and throwing several of the demons back through the brick and heard them fall and hit the ground below. Hope waited with her palms, seeing if any more were going to threaten her, "Next?"

The lead demon rolled his eyes, "This needn't be done this way, Young One."

"You're not getting the protector," Hope retaliated.

The demon chuckled, "Do you really think we care about the vampire?" he asked.

Hope's eyes widened and Angel watched her tense. He looked at the demons, putting it all together, "You came for Hope."

"Our master, Yeodon Shin, is willing to let your friends live if you come with us willingly, Young One."

Hope eyed him for a moment, her mind racing.

"Please, Young One. Do not take the lives of those you love," he tried to reason with her.

"You poisoned me. With what?" she asked aggressively.

The demon smiled again, "A seemingly harmless variety of poison. Something that will kill you if left unchecked…no matter your ability to heal, I assure you."

"You'd be surprised how much I can heal."

"You can heal only if you know what you're looking for. Problem is, you don't. So, you need the help of Shin."

Angel, Gunn and Kate eyed Hope as she stood there, immobilized. Angel knew she was trying to read their minds, trying to ascertain what the poison was. Trying to bring some new card to the table.

The demon took a lumbering step closer. Hope didn't flinch. He eyed her and Angel, "You can't read my mind so don't even try. You know the odds here, Young One. Your friends—human friends—against us? Purebreds? How many will die should you choose to fight? How many can you protect before we get to you—injure you?" he wondered aloud.

Hope smiled at the demon bearing down on her, "Go to Hell," she said almost inaudibly.

At his angered face, Hope let her fists throw him back through the hole the other demons had made. With her game face on, she threw herself forward into the fight.

* * *

Angel could feel his ribs crack as he was thrown and landed. He looked up to see the demon bearing down on him and he rolled to avoid being hit again. He stood as quick as he could and threw a punch at the face of the monster. It barely affected him. The demon took another swing and Angel could feel himself flying through the air like a rag doll.

Across the room, Hope knew the odds. The demons attacking them were stronger, bigger, and had impenetrable hides. But still she fought. She always did. She always would. As she blocked a blow from the demon on her right, her eyes watched as others were not so lucky. Blood was starting to coat the walls. She didn't know if some of her friends were dead already. She was too busy trying to summon all her strength to destroy those against her.

A hard fist knocked her into the nearest wall and she could feel it crack upon the impact. She tried to stand and as soon as she did, the demon swiped at her head again. The last thing her conscious mind saw was Angel's concerned face.

* * *

As soon as they had come, the demons were gone. But the damage had been done quickly. Angel stood shakily and tried to ignore the terrible pain of his dislocated shoulder and other ailments. Gunn was buried under a pile of sheetrock and Angel cleared it off. Gunn sat up coughing with blood rolling from his forehead.

"Can you stand?" the vampire asked.

Gunn nodded and stood, taking a rag nearby and pressing it to his wound. Angel looked around the decimated floor and watched as several people tried to get up from the hardness of the fight.

"Let's find the others," Angel winced as Gunn brushed past his dislocated arm.

Kate was the next to be found. Angel carried her to the nearest table and laid her down. She was unconscious but alive. That being what it was, Angel walked off and kept looking for others that had survived the assault.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

A slight prick in the neck was all she could feel for a moment. Slowly, as her eyes opened and her brain regained itself, Hope could feel more pain and more sensations coming to her mind. She could feel shackles and chains, dried blood and fresh blood. She could smell the stench of underground dampness and close-quartered demons. Her bare toes felt the cold air between them. Her half-numb fingers wrapped around the chains keeping her still. With swollen eyes, she saw grotesque figures. She smiled in spite of herself as a hypodermic needle came into view. Whether it was the antidote or another poison, she didn't care.

"Ah, Young One. How wonderful for you to join us," a haughty, deep voice spoke to her.

She looked to her left and saw the largest of the Pogroms eyeing her with a pleased look.

"I'm sure you're still a little groggy from the fight. So let me help clear your mind; you are my captive. And your death will help seal my power and reign of this world."

* * *

With the survivors of the assault seated in a small room, Angel let his one bad shoulder and arm hang while others were attended to. Others that needed the medical attention. Ambulances had been called and doctors walked around, trying to do what they could. Fred walked over to him with a slight limp and a tired face.

"Hey."

"How are you feeling?" Angel asked.

She sighed while looking around at the casualties, "I'm lucky."

She had been thrown aside early in the fight and knocked unconscious—the demons took her for dead and left her alone. Some rubble had fallen on her but nothing else severe.

"You're limping."

"Just some pulled leg muscles. Any word on the others?"

"Wesley suffered a concussion and a few broken ribs, broken clavicle…lost a few molars. Gunn…he's asleep with morphine while they reset an arm. Kate's coming around; she had a concussion, broken wrist, fractured fingers. The chief didn't make it. They had trouble identifying him. Some officers came through with minor breaks and bruises. One's got internal bleeding…there's nothing they can do for him. And Michael…he's got a broken nose, some fractures here and there…nothing too serious."

"I take it they got Hope."

Angel nodded, trying to ignore his still painful shoulder.

"We'll get her back, Angel," Fred said strongly.

"Before or after they kill her?" Angel asked tiredly, walking away.

He walked over to Michael. The demigod was standing with his back to the crowds. His injuries had been almost insubstantial. As such, he waited for the more serious cases to be cleared. His eyes were turned onto the city through a window. He barely noticed Angel's approach. He'd been silent since Hope had been taken.

"We need to get her back," Angel said silently.

"I keep thinking she'll pop back here and smile."

"We both know she won't be coming back unless we go get her."

"What makes you think we can?" Michael asked sincerely.

"I don't know we can. I just know Hope would."

"We'd be hard pressed to get in, let alone get out," Michael sighed.

"Betray her," Angel said sullenly.

Michael looked at him askew, then remembered the vampire had eavesdropped when that topic came up, "It would get us in. But fighting our way out would be impossible."

"There has to be a way to get the army out of the temple," Angel thought aloud.

Michael shook his head, "Not without setting them loose on the population of Denver. This is nothing," he said, looking out at the chaos.

Angel followed his gaze. In all the turmoil, no one had really thought about the innocents outside. But fires were blazing, sirens were blaring…all hell was breaking loose. Demons roamed the streets. And no doubt bodies littered the streets for miles around. Hell wasn't breaking loose; it was already on the surface.

"Hope's worth it," Angel said quietly.

"She is. But she would never forgive herself."

"This ritual…what will it do to her?" Angel asked.

"It takes a few days. Shin will torture her first…gloating time. Then the ritual begins. I don't know the specifics," Michael admitted.

"We need to find out what they are," Angel said strongly.

"I'll see what information I can get."

Angel nodded, "Please do."

"I'll be back later, then," the demigod sighed, straightening and disappearing a moment later in a puff of smoke.

* * *

2115, Argentina, South America

Karina rolled down the slope and felt jagged rocks cut into her sides, her arms and chest and legs. At the bottom of the long hill, she stopped and tried to right herself, tried to find her assailant. She coughed out blood and could feel her lungs try to bring in air.

Angelus walked calmly towards her, smiling maliciously. Karina stood shakily and tried to gather some strength. Michael was off to the side, being held back and tormented with her plight. But she couldn't worry about him. She had to worry about herself. Surrounded by the army of the First and the general Angelus, she was outnumbered. Crazily outnumbered.

"Too scared to take me on yourself?" she asked as his army started to close in.

He licked his lips, "No. I just like you tender and bloody."

He lunged at her suddenly and she used his own momentum against him, throwing him behind her. He rebounded quickly and threw a kick at her, hitting her in her cheek. Taking all she had left, all of her godliness and power, she knew it would be her last chance. One hit. One chance at a deathblow. One of her palms grew into a fiery mass and she tried hitting the vampire. He caught her forearm and stopped the hit, tightening his grip.

They just eyed each other for a moment. Karina could feel her bones willing to break as he tightened his grip even more.

"Light my fire," he sneered at her.

"With pleasure," she threw all of her weight forward and watched her fiery fist touch his partially exposed chest. His shirt caught fire quickly. He tore it off, throwing it down to the muddy ground. She could feel her last reserve extinguished as her fist lost the flame surrounding it. She could feel her body be only that…not a vessel, not a fighter.

He threw her backwards and she landed on a jagged rock, her spine cracking. She could feel a second of searing pain, then complete nothingness. She dragged the lower half of her body away from the advancing Angelus. He caught up to her and grabbed her by the neck, his grotesque features bearing down on her.

"Looks like your time is up, bitch."

Karina tried to remain calm, knowing nothing short of a miracle could save her.

Holding her by the neck, he shook her, making her face Michael. Their eyes met and she saw his tears. All she could do was smile at him. She knew what was coming. She knew he would be forced to watch. But she was content. She'd tried, and lost.

"I win," Angelus smiled. The world around Karina exploded as he sank his teeth into her neck. She could feel her body drained of its life as blackness claimed her eyes…Michael's face in agony and his screams lost to dying ears.

In a burst of light and sound, she felt soft, dry grass beneath her. She stood and looked around. It was only then she realized she was naked. But she was standing. All of her wounds were healed. The area around her was flat and lush save for mountains in the distance.

The Old One walked up to her and she clothed herself in modesty.

"What happened?" she asked simply.

"I brought you here. To the past."

"What year is it?" she asked, looking around and not seeing any buildings.

"It doesn't matter. But you now have all the time in the world to correct what happened."

"And Michael?"

"He will join you…in time. For now, you must deal with this on your own," He said simply, trying to keep her calm.

"But…I died," she said, unsure of what He had done.

"The child is dead. You are reborn a true god, restored to grace. Savor it. Stay alive. Make sure what happened never happens again. Make it safe for us."

She nodded, "I will."

He smiled and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "I know you will."

Karina smiled and inhaled deep, feeling her new life. She looked around at her new home. The old world had come and gone. This was hers. This world was now hers. The Old One eyed her for her confusion, rage and ambition. For her hope. Thunderclouds gathered quickly. Standing there in her modest clothes, her wounds gone, she cried for the life that had been taken and given back. Rain poured and lightening struck nearby. Raising her hands to the sky, welcoming that life that poured down, she cried and screamed, her eyes closed in the pure realization of what she was being given. The earth trembled as she was reborn a god. A human life had been lost only moments before. But that human girl, that child, was now a god. And she cried in joy for that. Soaked, the earth shook under her feet with her renewed power. The thunderclaps echoed off the mountains in the distance. Trees shifted with her raining power, with the droplets of it that came down in a torrent. Her hands still facing that blackening sky, grasped at the rain that fell to her. For all her century of pain and agony and death and suffering, she'd been rewarded.

Karina Audrey Carlton was a god.

And the earth shook as she cried. The earth shook for her power.

* * *

"Tell me, Young One, do you fear for your life?" Yeodon Shin asked.

Hope chuckled, most of her pain subsided from the fight.

Shin eyed her, "Something amusing?" he asked.

Still chained to a marble slab, Hope just shook her head and continued to chuckle almost manically "Should I?" she managed to ask.

"I would assume so. You know I'm going to kill you."

"Death is irrelevant," Hope smiled, looking at the ceiling, "When we die, how we die…it doesn't matter."

"Your death will consolidate my power," Shin reminded her.

Hope scoffed, "You won't kill me."

On Shin's command, a nearby demon lodged a dagger into Hope's leg. She cried out in pain, trying to turn to her side; the chains restrained her. Yeodon Shin smiled and exhaled sharply.

"Won't I?"

Hope regained her demeanor and tried to ignore the pain, "You won't touch me. You'll make your lackeys do it," she added.

"And the difference is?"

"You have no real power. The toadies you have working for you know the mojo. All you have right now is a big thundering voice and a power center that blocked the sun. That isn't power."

"I fail to see how this brings you consolation," he wondered aloud.

"Not consolation…just little tingles," she smiled, still eyeing the ceiling.

The demon lodged the dagger into her thigh again and she cried out again, her back arching and her eyes closing.

"Well, since you like tingles…" Shin smiled.

Hope opened her eyes despite the pain. Her wrists were sore and worn to the bone, her skin torn and blood draining down the slab. Ahead of her was Shin, his cocky smile bearing down on her. She wriggled once to test the chains on her. The cuffs only dug deeper into her flesh.

"Why struggle, Young One?" Shin asked of her.

Hope just remained silent, her head leaning on the cold marble.

"You could be happy here. You've come so far since we last met. You're one of them now. One of the demons that plague this earth."

She eyed him, "I'm not a demon."

He seemed amused, "Oh? Then why do you still wear _that_ face? The one your lover wears?"

Hope hadn't realized she was still in defensive mode from the fight. But even with Shin's taunts, she couldn't make herself change over. All she could feel was pain. The demon kept that pain at bay, made the pain more tolerable.

"We could free you, Young One."

"Go to Hell," Hope answered, spittle coming from her mouth.

Shin smiled again, "Ladies first."

Two smaller demons, though they were both larger than Hope, grabbed her head and tilted it back. She thought at first they would snap her neck and end it all. They didn't. They opened her jaw while a third one poured human blood into her mouth. They clamped her mouth shut and pinched her nose, keeping her from breathing. She tried to spit it out but, as she tried to breathe, it found its way to the back of her throat. She gagged, feeling her stomach turn over. The demons continued pouring the blood into her mouth, snickering at her struggle.

"You see, Young One? Being human means you have more vulnerabilities. A vampire would have no problem with this. In fact, I daresay, they'd enjoy it," Shin started to chuckle.

They stopped for a moment and Hope spat out what she could and tried to breathe. She could feel the blood sickening her, threatening to make her heave.

"Tell me, Hope, is humanity really all it's cracked up to be?" Yeodon asked.

Before she could answer, they started to pour the blood into her mouth again; this time, after pouring a large quantity, they clamped hands over her nose and mouth, keeping her from spitting any out. She wriggled and squirmed, trying to allow air in and the blood out. She was forced to swallow the blood.

Once she did, they released her nose and she felt cool air rush into her battered lungs.

Her relief was short lived as she felt more of the sickening blood forced into her mouth. It stopped quickly and Hope gagged. Her head swayed in exhaustion.

"You can make all the pain go away," Shin taunted her.

* * *

Angel threw his side into the wall and held back a yelp as his shoulder was knocked back into place. With a clenched jaw, he just stood there for a moment and kept his still limp arm at his side. Fred walked over to him and offered a warm, if not nervous, smile.

"How are you holding up?"

"Waiting."

"Did Michael say when he's coming back?"

Angel shook his head, "No."

"Wesley's trying to translate more of the texts he has…see what this ritual entails as far as Hope. So far it's not looking that good."

"I can't feel her," Angel said simply.

"Her mind?"

"There's nothing…not thoughts, not feelings. Nothing."

"Can you tell if she's alive?" Fred asked.

Angel just stared ahead, "I don't know."

"Angel," Wesley called out across the room.

Angel and Fred walked over to him. Leaning over his shoulder, Angel sighed, "Anything?"

"According to this, the Pogroms all have to gather before the ritual can be performed. With all of them there, Hope will be ritually sacrificed and eaten; her power will consolidate theirs," Wesley said solemnly.

"How long before they gather?" Fred asked, picking up the book.

"I'm not sure. There's no way to know the individual capabilities of each demon. Some may be able to teleport, others may not."

Michael appeared next to the three of them. Fred jumped slightly and Angel just waited impatiently.

The demigod looked at Angel, "We need to talk," he said, walking away from the main group. Angel followed and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

"What?"

"I think I know how to get us in. But, once we're in, we may not have a chance to get back out," Michael sighed.

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that, if we can't get out, our only option then would be to kill Hope."

Angel shook his head, "I won't accept that."

"That is the worse case scenario."

Angel sighed heavily, "How do you plan to get in?"

"I'll make it look like you're my hostage. Shin wants to kill you; he'll want to kill you in front of her. That'll get us close enough. If I can slip her the sword, she'll get a quick boost of power. It should be enough to destroy Shin."

"The other Pogroms might be there."

"As long as we kill Shin, we should be fine."

Angel sighed again and leaned on the wall, "So, just the two of us."

Michael nodded, "We can't risk taking anyone else."

"Not planning to betray us, now—are you?"

"You think I would?"

"I think you'd like to. You'd have Hope all to yourself after that."

Michael smiled indignantly, "You really don't trust her, do you?"

Angel just straightened.

"Do you have _any_ idea how much Hope has done for you? Any real idea of how many times she's put herself out on a limb for you?" Michael didn't give Angel a chance to answer, "The Old One told her to change the history of mankind. The most obvious option would have been to kill you. She didn't. She wanted to take you under her wing and make sure you did good things. She saw so much potential in you then. The Powers that Be wanted to _replace_ her after that call. She risked everything to make sure you kept a soul. She put herself in danger to get you back from Hell. You were destined to rot there, you know. But Hope had sympathy on you. She brought you back. And when I realized she loved you, it tore me apart.

"I wanted to have her back. I thought she'd lost it. But I know what we had wasn't love. It was insecurity. Whatever connection you have with her is nothing compared to what I have. And she loves you more than life itself. I know it. I know I can't make her love me. But if I can make her happy, that'll be enough. So you tell me, vampire, if she is _really_ worth dying for; I know what my answer would be. Tell me yours," Michael demanded, his voice quiet but strong.

Angel's posture softened, "She is."

Michael seemed content with that and inhaled deeply, "We need to get her the sword. As long as she can kill Yeodon Shin, whatever happens to us doesn't matter."

"I agree," Angel said solemnly.

"It'll take a while for me to get the sword ready. Once I do, we should leave. I suggest getting some rest before then," Michael allowed.

"Can't sleep. Not now."

Michael nodded, "I know. Worth a shot, though."

With that, Michael walked off and left Angel there alone, thinking about what the demigod had said. Angel had no doubt that Hope had done more than she let on. But to hear it come from Michael…to hear it come from the one person Angel didn't trust…that made the difference.

* * *

c. 4.7 Million BCE

Karina sighed at everything that had happened. It was so much, but really so very little. In the grand plan, nothing had changed yet. But, in her own eyes, everything had changed. The history of the world as she knew it was replaced by the facts.

Michael sat down next to her, tired from the day, "Here," he offered her a cup of hot tea.

"Nice sunset," she said awkwardly, looking at him in its light.

So very much change in her eyes.

"I think things will go better tomorrow," he said randomly.

She kept her eyes on him, unwilling to break from his beautiful profile, "I wasn't thinking about that," she said, tying to muster up the courage to tell him what she felt.

He eyed her, suddenly aware of the attention she'd been giving him, "Karina…"

"I know office romances never work. But, I've been thinking a lot and…this isn't an office. We're in the middle of a super continent. Hardly an office. Unless, of course..." she trailed off.

He sighed, "You know I care about you."

"But how much? How deep does it go?"

He ran his hand over her shoulder, his power transferring deep into her and sending a rush of lust to her brain, "Deep enough."

She let his power dive deeper into her, "How are you doing that?" she asked, her voice rasp with pleasure.

He smiled at her relative naiveté, "People like us don't need flesh and bone, Karina. People like us only need a soul."

She gasped as he let another wave of power rush into her, fueling her desire to feel more and return his teasing.

"Is this heaven?"

He leaned closer, "It can be."

* * *

Michael eyed the sword and waited. Eric, the young servant, circled around anxiously. Michael rolled his eyes quickly.

"Stop pacing," he demanded.

Eric stopped quickly, "My apologies."

"If you want to make yourself useful, go to Yeodon Shin and tell him to expect me. Tell him I'll have Angel with me," Michael smiled.

Eric nodded silently and disappeared. Michael turned his attention back to the sword. He wanted it to give Hope that boost she would need. But he didn't want her to have the chance to save Angel. That was the one thing he didn't want.

There was a knock on the door. Michael turned around and smiled as Fred walked in. The young woman was bruised but not severely injured.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

She sat, "I heard you and Angel are leaving to get Hope back."

"We are."

Fred looked down at the floor for a moment and sighed, "I know you and Angel aren't the best of friends," she looked up at his eyes, "Bring him back. Bring them both back," she asked seriously.

Michael nodded, "I will."

"We need Angel here. We need Hope. You need to bring them back."

"I promise," he looked her in the eyes.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

"There she is, Hr-ann-ouk. The Young One," Yeodon Shin smiled.

Hr-ann-ouk smiled and stuck a large claw into Hope's gut. She gaped silently, her pain overwhelming. He thrust his claw further up into her chest cavity, the skin tearing as he went.

"Stop!" Hope rasped.

The demons smiled and Hr-ann-ouk let her be, walking away, "She will bleed…soon," Shin chuckled heartily.

Hope gasped and tried to keep from crying, her chest ripped open and her organs showing. She knew it wouldn't kill her, but it hurt enough to warrant her pained face. She saw, out of the corner of her eye, a flash of light familiar to her.

"Yeodon Shin! My master will be arriving shortly," a young, masculine voice said sternly.

There was a pause, "And?" Shin asked.

"He will be bringing the soulful one and the sword."

Hope's heart fell, knowing Angel and Michael would be coming soon. She didn't want them to see her like this. They didn't need to see her like this.

"Hear that, Young One? Your lover will die. And you will watch," Shin smiled.

Hope closed her eyes and felt tears drain down her face.

_Hope?_

She hid her relief at hearing Michael's voice, _I'm here._

_Angel and I are coming._

_Don't. You'll get hurt. You'll die._

_No, we won't. We have the sword. We can do this._

_Kill Shin. I can't do that,_ she quipped.

_You can do this, Hope._

_I won't lose you. Either of you._

_You won't. I promise,_ Michael said unconvincingly, _This isn't Jerusalem. We have more power now. You won't have to make that choice._

_I'm afraid._

_We're here for you, Hope. You know that. I'm here. I'll always be here._

* * *

Angel looked at Michael as the demigod carefully loaded the sword into a leather sheath, the shine and radiance absorbed by the natural materials. Michael looked at him and sighed.

"You know the drill?" he asked.

Angel nodded, "Yeah."

"Then let's do this."

The two of them disappeared in a puff of golden smoke, the ones they left behind nervous and unsure, waiting for the anticipated return.

The two immortals found solid ground and Angel allowed Michael to place the chains on him. His wrists were held behind his back. Michael grabbed the chains in one hand and sighed.

"You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

Michael forced Angel forward and it was all the vampire could do not to trip on the rocky terrain. They entered a large cavern with thirteen thrones of various sizes. Three of them were already occupied. One was Yeodon Shin, one was Hr-ann-ouk, and the last was a demon Angel didn't recognize. Shin looked up from the battered body on a stone slab and smiled.

"Ah. The vampire!" he rumbled.

Angel caught sight of Hope. She was bruised almost beyond recognition. Her stomach had been ripped open and blood, dried and fresh, was abound. A knife stood from her thigh and her blank eyes stared at the ceiling.

"Just for you, Shin. A token of our partnership."

Hope seemed to register the voices around her and turned her head slightly to see her two men, past and present, standing there. Her mind wandered through thousands of possibilities but she had to hope that the least likely was the one to be played out. She started to cry again, feeling her resolve dry up and let forth everything she didn't want the Pogroms to see.

Shin motioned to several large demons, "Chain him up to the wall!" he bellowed.

Hope followed with her tired eyes as Angel was taken from Michaels's grasp and pushed against the wall. Their eyes met for a moment and Hope could feel his agony. So close yet unable to help her.

Michael walked closer to her, leaned over her face and smiled, "You trusted the wrong man, sweetie," he gloated.

Hope let some blood in her mouth collect and she spat it at his face, hitting him on the eye. He pulled back reflexively and wiped it away before slapping her hard on her cheek. Her head was forced back towards Angel and she watched as he was chained to the wall. He had no chance to struggle. The demons handling him were twice his height and easily weighed in at a thousand pounds or so.

"And the sword?" Shin asked.

Michael smiled, walking to the front of Hope, "I have it. But first, I want the vampire dead," he added.

"Any particular way you'd like him to meet his end?" Hr-ann-ouk smiled, waiting for Michael's response. The demigod smiled back and spared one glance at Hope.

"Off with his head," he said, still smiling. He looked back at Angel, "I've always wanted to say that," he added.

One of the demons took out a long sword and held it against Angel's exposed and vulnerable neck. Hope felt her heartbeat increase, knowing it would be now or never. Shin smiled at her panic.

"Be patient, Young One. Your time is next," he promised her, "Anything you wish to say before he is turned to dust?"

"Trust me."

Angel nodded, "I do."

Shin and the other Pogroms laughed. Yeodon stood from his throne and looked at Angel.

"Kill him!" he demanded.

* * *

c. 3.5 Million BCE

Michael walked around on tiptoes and waited for the strike he knew would come. Making his way through deep thick forests, he could feel the air around him like hot breath. It clung to his skin. A pine branch swept past his face and a pinecone fell the to the needle-covered ground. It landed with a soft bounce and cracked a bit as it hit a rock.

An arrow landed in the tree trunk next to his face after grazing his cheek. He touched at the blood and looked for the attacker. There was no movement and the eerie silence sent a chill down Michael's spine. Standing stock still, he let his eyes search the surrounding woods.

As he moved to wipe the blood from his cheek again, another arrow whirred past him and flew from another angle. He looked to the tree where the arrow was lodged and saw it had come from above.

Taking out his own weapons, he loaded a bolt into the bow. He shot upward from the last attack and heard it whir through pine tree needles and land solidly in a tree.

"You missed."

He fired again at the new location.

"Missed again."

"Afraid to face me?" he asked.

"Aren't you?"

There was a thud behind him and before he could turn to attack, he felt a warm soft hand wrap around his neck. Sensually charged, he gave in and let his bow drop to the forest floor. When Karina's hand wrapped farther around his neck and then down into his shirt, he felt her electric love fuel him. With her hand connected to his heart, he gasped for her pleasurable essence. He could feel her millennia of power coursing through him. He reached around and grabbed at her neck, pulling her closer to himself, pressing her against his back. As his own power reached into her, she smiled and started to lose to her solidity. Her could feel her liquefy against him, her material body flushed.

He turned to face her fully and she smiled as more of her figure was lost and became a cloud of purity.

"My turn," she whispered.

She melted into him, her own figure gone and absorbed into his. He reeled back as her immense strength and powerful years overcame his rational brain. He braced himself on a tree and slid down to the forest floor. She rippled through him, touching every hidden nerve and pleasurable spot. It was more than physical…it was a melding of souls…it was heaven…it was sinful and pleasurable and forbidden and welcome.

It was bliss.

* * *

Angel saw everything around him. The blade was pushed up against his neck and he could feel his blood start to drain from the slice that was being created. He could see Hope struggle with her chains. He could see Michael unsheathe the sword. The sword cut closer to his bone. His mouth gaped in pain. His hands grabbed at the chains holding him to the wall, unable to defend himself.

* * *

Hope tried to break the chains holding her down as soon as she saw the blade run close to her lover's skin. She could feel them give ever so slightly. She could feel her palms bleed as she tugged harder than she ever thought she could. His face was full of pain and shock as the blade came closer to the wall behind his neck. Second by second, she ignored her own pain and tried to get off the stone slab, tried to get to him.

* * *

Michael watched for a second as the blade was thrust forward, drawing blood. He reached behind his back and grabbed at the invisible pommel of the Sword of Ganaan. He raised it high and watched as Hope tried to tug at her chains. He paused.

* * *

Yeodon Shin saw the vampire gape in pain. But out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glimmer of metaphysical metal. The sword was raised above the Young One's chains. The demigod Michael paused and took a glance at the vampire as the blade reached towards the wall. Shin took a step closer and beckoned for his guards to stop the demigod in any way possible.

* * *

The blade moved forward almost effortlessly; it sliced through the only bone there was. A sliver of skin kept the blade from the wall. His body started to turn over, his fingertips drying quickly.

* * *

Michael brought the sword down quickly and nailed one of the chains. He felt his body tackled, the sword gone from his hands and now unable to free Hope.

* * *

One of her hands came free, the chain ricocheting and hitting her in the face. But she ignored it and grabbed at the sword as it fell in front of her. With her one free hand, she swung at her other, cutting the chain in two and feeling that hand freed. She sat up and tried to ignore the sudden rush of blood that was set loose from her gut.

* * *

Michael fell to the ground and threw his attacker off himself, rolling to one side to get back onto his feet. He was thrown a wickedly powerful punch and it threw him across the temple. He landed hard on a stalagmite, shattering it and several bones.

* * *

Hope swung at her ankles, barely missing her own feet, and took the chains away. With the burst of power the sword gave her, she threw the knife that had been lodged in her thigh and hit the executioner in its neck. The sword it was wielding fell as it died quickly. Looking between Michael and Angel, she ran over to Angel's side and threw a sphere of power at him.

* * *

His neck mending itself under Hope's guidance, Angel could feel his skin staying where it was supposed to be, not flying away as dust. All he could see was her demonic face coming at him, using that sword to fight her way through the demons separating them.

* * *

Michael forced himself to his feet and blocked the hit that came from another demon. The larger being bore down on him and landed a single blow to Michael's jaw. As he whirled from the blow, he could feel a large hand wrap itself around his waist.

* * *

Hope spun once to avoid the blow aimed at her and sliced the head from the demon attacker. With a burst of more energy, she swung the sword at Angel's chains above his head, taking them both out with the very tip of the sword. His hands reflexively grabbed at his throat and coughed, the blood still there but the slice gone.

"Jump!" Hope said quickly.

As he did, she cut the chains holding onto his ankles. He fell awkwardly and she helped him up. She ducked as he threw a punch at a vampire that had just come upon the fight right behind her.

* * *

His ribs started cracking as Yeodon Shin lifted him from the ground. He was brought up to eye level with the large demon.

"You dare betray me!" Shin bellowed.

* * *

Hope spun to see Michael in the air at Shin's mercy, the demon's lumbering voice reverberating through the cavernous temple. Her eyes went wide as she saw her past crushed violently and thrown. Her agape mouth and misty eyes followed his limp body as he landed.

* * *

Angel watched Hope scream in agony and start to run towards Michael. Hr-ann-ouk took a single step towards her. Angel lunged and pinned her to the ground just in time before the fist of the demon struck her. She moved her sword-wielding hand around and used it to get back to her feet.

"Take the shot, Hope!" Angel screamed at her, knowing the sword would soon be bereft of power if she waited any longer.

She skidded to a halt and ducked as the other fist from Hr-ann-ouk swung at her. She held the sword up and it sliced through the thick trunk that was his wrist. He screamed in pain and grabbed at his wounded arm.

* * *

Hope took one quick glance at Michael and turned her angry glare to Yeodon Shin. With a burst of power, hatred and love, she threw everything she was into the sword. Everything she had ever known to be powerful, everything she knew could hurt the demon looming in front of her. She pulled her arm back and let it go like a slingshot. The sword flew across the better half of the temple and impaled the monstrosity in his throat.

Shin tried to tear at the sword but the moment it hit his flesh it became as untouchable as air. The power coursed through him like a virus. His flesh began to catch on fire from the inside and soon muscles and bones became visible. All that Shin was, was destroyed in a matter of moments, his cohorts dying with him in the aftershock.

But Hope didn't care about that. She turned her back on the demons and ran towards Michael while Angel followed her. She skidded to her knees at the demigod's side. Her hands reached for his face and she suddenly became still. Angel stood behind her and waited, knowing what she was finding out.

"Michael?" she asked innocently.

Angel took a step closer and sat next to her. She looked at him," No. He can't be."

Angel just remained stoic.

Hope rubbed her hands together and tried to summon any power she could that would heal him. But nothing came from her rough and devoid hands. There was no power. There was no gift to be given. She backed away compulsively and fell onto her haunches, aghast at what was transpiring in front of her, out of her control.

"No. This can't…"

"Hope…"

There was silence. It was something the goddess had never before felt. Not a verbal silence, but the silence that was in her mind now that Michael was gone. That silence was the lack of comfort. She felt Angel's hands on her shoulders and just stared ahead at the body.

"I made the choice," she said to it.


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Karina lay on the warm and soft cot with Michael next to her. She cuddled up next to him and let her head down on his chest, hearing his heartbeat. She hmm-ed contently, watching the undisturbed stars overhead.

"I'm glad you're here."

He smiled and wrapped his arm under her neck and onto her shoulder, "So am I."

"You think we can pull this whole thing off? Changing the future?"

He kissed her on the forehead, "Hell yeah, we can. All we need is hope."

Karina considered that for a moment, smiled, and leaned her head to look Michael in the eyes, "Hope? Maybe that should be my new name."

"New name?" he asked unsurely.

"Yeah. I mean, I can't very well go through this life with my old name. Once we get into modern times, it would be too confusing. Maybe I can call myself Hope," she said, leaning her head back down.

"Hope. I like it. Okay. Hope it is, then," he snuggled tighter with her.

"I like this."

"What?"

"Just lying here. No bad guys to fight, no ultimate evil knocking on our door. It's nice. Peaceful."

Michael kissed her, "It is."

* * *

The sun was out. People were going about their lives. That was above the sewer tunnels. Below were Hope and Angel. The battle was done, the price had been paid. Silent as Michael now was, Hope sat in the murky running water just looking ahead, staring at her hands.

She couldn't give life. She couldn't give Michael life.

She couldn't even bring herself back to life. Her heart had stopped in some small way that meant all the difference to her. Heart stopped, lungs immobile…all that kept her going had stopped. There was a splashing of feet and she didn't bother to look as Angel knelt down in front of her.

"Hope?" he asked.

She met his eyes, seeing herself in them.

He didn't speak, only reached around her waist and wrapped more strips of fabric at her gut. Although powerful as the sword was, it didn't heal her completely. Her own body was trying hard as it could, but Hope hadn't the power to do anything about it. Her wrists were still worn to the bone and her thighs were ripped skin. Angel finished taking care of her waist wound and then turned his attention to her wrists. He wiped away what blood he could by spitting on a strip of his shirt and using that. Tearing up his undershirt, he used the fabric to staunch the bleeding. Hope's own clothes were torn and bloody and dirty beyond wear. As of now, she was stripped down to her underclothes. After he stopped most of bleeding, he wrapped his large shirt around her, being careful not to disturb the makeshift bandages. He buttoned it carefully, keeping his eyes on her.

He finally collapsed next to her and ignored the water that made his pants wet. He watched her just stare at her hands. They were useless now. Maybe not completely useless, but useless enough to warrant her current attitude.

"Hope?"

"I made the choice. I couldn't save him."

"There was nothing you could do."

"Always the choice. If I hadn't taken the shot, he would still be alive. I would've had the power to bring him back."

"But then Shin would've killed you…and me…a lot of people."

"I know. But saving all of them, us, doesn't make me feel any better."

"You knew him for over five million years. Not having him around…"

"It hurts."

Angel placed his arm around her tense shoulder and kissed her once on the forehead, "You haven't cried."

She shook her head, "I can't. Goddesses don't cry. Can't let anyone see me cry."

"Maybe not. But Karina can cry. She's allowed to."

She finally tore her eyes from her own hands and looked at him. She leaned into his chest and nestled there, her tight control letting go.

And she cried.

Angel just held her loosely, letting her back spasm and her face bury into his bare chest, taking what comfort she needed. He leaned his head on hers, "I here, Hope."

* * *

Fred brought Gunn a glass of water, knowing he was still somewhat dazed from the sedative the doctors had given him. He took it gingerly and sipped like a bird. He handed it back to her and sighed heavily, sore and in some pain.

"They aren't back yet?" he asked.

Fred just shook her head.

"The sun came back."

"Shin must be dead. They must've deactivated the power center or something…" she trailed off.

"Then why aren't they back yet?"

Fred sighed, "I don't know."

His eyes met the wall calendar and he scoffed. She looked at him in question. He shrugged, "Happy Independence Day."

* * *

The sun started to set. It set softly, dragging the wonderful blue of day with it. But, unlike before, there was a guarantee that it would rise again tomorrow morning. Angel could feel the difference the sun's absence brought. His skin didn't tingle in fear. The heat from above was gone. All the heat there was rose from the ground. He looked down at Hope and sighed. She'd cried for some time and eventually fell asleep.

He shifted slightly to keep himself awake.

She woke up and looked around.

"Angel?"

"I'm right here."

She nestled into his chest again, "I want to go home."

He nodded, "Sure. We'll pick up the others and we'll head back to the Hyperion."

"No. I want to go home…my penthouse."

Although shocked, Angel accepted that, "Okay. I'll take you back there."

She nestled in closer, "Can you stay with me?"

"Of course."

* * *

Angel led Hope into the police station. Taking the elevator up to the fourth floor, he eyed her. Most of her wounds had sealed themselves. His baggy shirt hid the bandages he'd made. Her face was drawn out in sadness. Speechless, she only shifted her eyes from moment to moment, unwilling to connect to the world around her.

The doors opened and he led the way. She paused before following him. Placing a hand on her shoulder and letting her support her weight on him, he watched officers stand in silent tribute. The silent commotion caught the attention of the others across the way. Fred and Wesley were the first to come up to them. Gunn wobbled closer a moment later. Fred looked between Hope and Angel, seeing her bruises and solemn eyes.

Wesley's gaze fell on Angel, "Michael?"

Angel just shook his head. Still damp and uncomfortable, he just wanted to get Hope to someplace safe before he changed. Before he allowed himself to be comfortable. Hope moved away from him and sat in a chair. Curling up in it, she leaned against the adjacent cubicle. Angel sighed and then looked to his friends.

"Stay with her?"

They nodded. He watched them walk to her, sit at her side. Fred pulled some matted hair from her face. Hope only curled up tighter, withdrew farther. Her blank eyes stared at nothing.

Angel made himself walk away. The sooner he could get into new clothes, the sooner they could head out and get her home. He walked towards the locker room. Kate followed him. He searched the lockers for an abandoned shirt, found one, and slipped it on.

"Will she be okay?"

Angel sighed, "Not for a while, if ever."

"What happened?"

"We won. She lost."

"Is there anything we can do?"

Angel plopped onto the small ledge at the base of the locker, holding his head in his hands. Kate moved closer, sat next to him.

He looked ahead, "When she blew open that wall, I asked her to come back. I told her to put it all aside because we needed her. And we did. But now, she's lost someone that she can never get back. He trained her. He taught her. He loved her. And now he's gone. I thought dealing with the Pogroms would snap her out whatever got into her. All I did was drag her into a fight she couldn't win. She lost the man she knew better than anyone. And I just lost any chance at getting her back."

"There's always casualties in a fight like this. It can't be avoided."

Angel stood slowly and sighed again, feeling his aching body crack at the motion, "Once I get changed, we'll head out. I don't think being here is good for her. She needs to be home."

Kate nodded, standing with him, "Sure. I'll go tell the guys."

Angel watched her go, knowing Hope would be just as motionless as when he left her.

* * *

The car ride home was silent. After all the solemn goodbyes and the obvious death, there was nothing that could be said. Wesley, Winifred and Gunn were seated in the back of the Honda; Hope curled up in the front seat while Angel drove through the night. Tears trailed silently down her face and the pain in her gut and her wrists and legs didn't register. The three in the back seat were watching her as she mourned for the loss of a one-time lover and friend. Every once in a while, Angel would just put his hand on her shoulder to let her know he was still there.

They stopped over-day at a hotel and slept restlessly. Hope and Angel shared one bed. She curled up next to him, holding him close to her. He just held her in his arms and tried to keep her comfortable. He thought about her, about what she was going through. His friends didn't know how powerless she was. They hadn't a clue that her melancholy wasn't just because of Michael, but because she wasn't whole anymore. As trivial as she might have deemed it, Angel knew it was weighing on her mind. She was worried about what would come their way next and if she would be able to defend anyone against it. But the loss of her powers was expected in some way. He could feel that she knew it might happen from bearing the sword. But to lose Michael so quick…nothing could have prepared her for that.

Fred had her own bed while Wesley and Gunn slept each on a roll-out trundle. Hope's melancholy infected them, created a sadness in them. None of them had become extremely close to Michael or had generally even like the demigod, but knowing that Hope was hurting was enough to make them hurt, too. In bed, Winifred thought about her parents; she would call them when the team arrived back in Los Angeles. She would go see them or have them come out there…so long as she saw them.

Angel watched Hope lay with her front side to him, closer than she'd ever been before. Her eyes stared at his neck; not out of hunger, but because that was simply at her eye level. She wasn't going to sleep well, if at all. Angel wasn't threatened. She had saved him from blowing away on the wind. He had felt his immortal body undergo a change and his fingers were still numb from it. She had saved him at the last moment possible. She'd gone to him instead of Michael. That fact was not lost on Angel's mind. She could've helped Michael and come back to him later, clean up the mess, so to speak. But she didn't. She didn't make him go through that. And Michael had paid the price for her devotion.

He ran his fingers across her forehead and brushed a lock of her mahogany hair out of her eyes. Those eyes shifted for a moment and stared into his. For a moment, there was a glimmer of happiness, of contentment…and then it was gone.

The next evening was just as uneventful. They made it home only because there was no traffic. It was close, though. Pulling into the Hyperion as the sun started to gray the sky, Angel was grateful for the mock police siren and light Michael had installed. It allowed them to go faster and get home quicker. The five of them walked into the lobby of the Hyperion. Hope just stood there, looking at everything.

Angel walked up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He noticed he'd been doing that a lot lately. She just looked at him blankly, moving back through the doors they'd just entered. She walked to the SUV, sitting in the front seat. Angel spared the others a glance, knowing he had to take her to her penthouse.

* * *

Michael looked around his new view. He smiled. Despite the brevity of it, everything had worked out. They all thought him dead and he was no longer caught up in Hope's mind. He moved around and picked up a bit of stone and played with it.

"You seem pleased."

"I got the bitch out of my head. Can't find anything wrong with that," he smiled.

"But she still isn't yours."

Michael smiled, thinking of Hope and Angel, "Soon, she won't be his, either."

"It will take time for your powers to return to you. But, when they do, you will be able to destroy her."

Michael smiled.

* * *

1753, Galway, Ireland

Hope eyed Liam as he fell to the ground, apparently dead. Watching from afar, Hope knew that he was undergoing the transformation that would turn him into a demon, a vampire. The sire, Darla, eyed his precious body for a moment, then walked away. No one noticed. Not that Hope expected anyone to. It was midnight in a town that had no real care for Liam.

"Should we stake him now, spare everyone the grief?" Michael asked, looking around the almost deserted square.

Hope eyed the corpse. She could feel the change taking place within Liam's body. The demon was setting up shop, so to speak.

"Hope?" Michael asked, bringing her from her thoughts.

"No."

"What?" Michael asked, looking from her to Liam, "We have to stop him now before he destroys the world!"

"The Old One didn't say to kill him," Hope reasoned, walking from her hiding spot in the alley. With her red hair and day-hip garb, she and Michael blended in as locals.

"What else could He mean?" Michael asked, taking her arm strongly.

"Angelus regained his soul in the late 19th century. And he didn't go evil until after he was with a Slayer. What if we made sure he kept it? Never reverted to Angelus again? He would be an ally," Hope thought, looking between Michael and Liam.

"Are you willing to let all those innocent people die? For the _chance_ that he may be an ally?" Michael asked harshly.

Hope looked at him, "Think of how many we could save if he were teamed against the First? Isn't that worth trying for? It must be."

Michael sighed heavily, took in the options, and looked at Liam, "What did you have in mind?" he asked finally.

"Let his body be found. Things will go on their own. All we have to do is change…certain events. Things that would otherwise turn him towards the First."

"How can you be sure?"

She smiled warmly, "I have to hope."


End file.
